The Philadelphia Phillies are poised to make another World Series run this season, but there are still a few questions regarding this roster and who could be the fifth starter come Opening Day. The Phillies have discussed an experimental sixth starter which, from what I saw from the starters in the postseason, would help with rest and fatigue.
Who makes the Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day rotation?
From one through four, the Phillies starters are set thanks to the offseason signing of Taijuan Walker. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Walker are a deep four-man rotation and allow the Phillies, come the postseason should they make it, not to have a bullpen game. I personally hate the bullpen game and never thought it made sense, especially in the postseason. However, manager Rob Thomson didn’t seem to have a lot of trust in Bailey Falter or Noah Syndergaard in the postseason, leading to Wheeler and Nola becoming fatigued down the stretch.
Before we look at the options for the fifth spot, let’s take a look at the four current starters in the rotation. As a note, all pitch velocities come from Baseball Savant.
The new guy — Taijaun Walker
A right-handed pitcher, Walker comes to Philly with a good arsenal of pitches that can help him be dominant, especially with Philly’s analytics department already in place. I fully expect Walker to take the next step forward and really become the pitcher he wants to be and Walker himself fully believes that himself when talking about it during his introduction press conference.
Fastball – 94 MPH
Change – 89 MPH
Slider – 85 MPH
Curve – 75 MPH
Cutter – 89MPH
That cutter is a pitch that Walker recently added last season and has absolutely become an elite pitch in his arsenal. Going 12-5 last season in 29 starts, Walker ended the season with a 3.49 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 157.1 innings pitched. If Walker can figure it out and stay healthy, he can absolutely be a huge piece for the Phillies moving forward.