The Philadelphia Phillies were built on pitching. A group anchored by Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez looked, on paper, like one of the most formidable in baseball heading into the 2025 season.
But one of their cornerstones is struggling despite sitting first in the NL East at 35-19, and an unexpected hurler is keeping the rotation afloat.
Aaron Nola hasn’t been himself. The veteran right-hander has struggled through inconsistency. His career-low 6.16 has climbed, and the swings-and-misses that defined his dominance in years past have dipped noticeably.
Yet the rotation has held strong.
According to ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, the key to the Phillies rotation surviving Nola’s struggles lies not in the front-line stars—but in the stellar first half from Jesus Luzardo.
“Luzardo was a top-10 prospect when he reached the majors with the A’s in 2019,” Doolittle wrote in May 27 story. “While Luzardo has had some solid moments in the bigs as he has moved from the A’s to the Marlins to the Phillies, this is the pitcher the prospect wonks envisioned. Everything is better: more strikeouts, fewer walks and a home run rate so low it barely registers. Luzardo’s rise has more than compensated for the early struggles of rotation mate Aaron Nola.”
And he’s doing it differently than Nola. Luzardo isn’t trying to paint the corners with finesse—he’s attacking hitters with confidence, tunneling his slider and four-seamer in a way that’s left opposing lineups guessing.
Phillies’ Depth Has Paid Off
Yes, Luzardo. The hard-throwing lefty who arrived last December in a trade with the Miami Marlins, has now reestablished himself in Philly. He’s become the silent assassin in the pitcher rotation, posting a 2.13 ERA over his last nine starts while slashing his walk rate and leading the team in strikeouts during that stretch.
Wheeler deserves his share of credit, too. He’s been quietly putting together a Cy Young-caliber campaign of his own. His K/BB ratio remains among the best in the National League, and his advanced metrics—like FIP and xERA—suggest he might be even better than his surface stats show.
Instead of being the guy everyone looks to stop a skid, Nola now has space to work through issues without sinking the rotation.
Suarez has been consistent, Taijuan Walker has shown flashes of brilliance and even Cristopher Sanchez has stepped up in key moments.
Luzardo’s Arrival is No Fluke
The Phillies have done more than stack big names—they’ve built a rotation that can absorb turbulence.
They’ve found a way to work through Jose Alvarado’s 80-game suspension, and pitching coach Caleb Cotham has been praised league-wide for helping pitchers maximize their tools without overthinking mechanics. His approach has made a difference.
What makes Luzardo’s rise so impressive is how sustainable it looks. His strikeout numbers have spiked, but his walk rate has dipped below six percent. He’s not giving up hard contact, and he’s avoiding the long ball.
Nola isn’t pitching like an ace right now. But thanks to Luzardo’s emergence, Wheeler’s All-Star stability, and the rotation’s quiet depth, the Phillies are staying competitive—and even thriving amid turbulence.
If Nola is able to redeem himself in the second half of the season, that could be the key ingredient to catapult their expectations this season.
Analyst Reveals What’s Keeping Phillies Rotation Afloat While Nola Struggles