Whether they draw the Dodgers or Reds, the pitcher the Phillies send out for Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday isn’t just their top healthy arm, it’s a lefty who made a case this season as the best starter in all of baseball.
Yes, by some measures, Cristopher Sánchez was the best of the best in 2025, the third consecutive season he ascended beyond realistic or even optimistic expectations.
Last season, Sánchez surpassed 180 innings; this year, it was 200. Only he, Logan Webb and Garrett Crochet reached the now-elusive milestone.
Last season, Sánchez’s ERA was 3.