Philadelphia Phillies’ Postseason Rotation Taking Shape

With the 2025 MLB regular season winding down, the Philadelphia Phillies’ postseason pitching blueprint is becoming clearer. Manager Rob Thomson has laid out a plan that combines traditional starting roles with tandem pitching flexibility — a formula designed to maximize depth and matchups when the 2025 MLB Postseason starts in a few weeks.

On Friday in Arizona, Taijuan Walker will start, followed by Walker Buehler in relief. The pairing gives the Phillies an opportunity to stretch both pitchers while also preparing them for hybrid postseason roles. In October, the order could be flipped, with Buehler opening and Walker following, depending on matchups.

The more traditional assignment belongs to Cristopher Sánchez, who is lined up to start the Phillies’ final home game of the regular season. That schedule positions him perfectly to open NLDS Game 1, a well-earned honor after a breakout year in the rotation. Sánchez’s sinker-changeup mix and ability to attack both lefties and righties make him an ideal tone-setter for a playoff series.

Behind him, the Phillies have left-handers Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo, each offering different strengths — Suárez with command and poise, Luzardo with power and strikeout stuff. But it remains to be seen if the Phillies would throw three lefties in a row during a five-game series.

Meanwhile, Aaron Nola has struggled to find consistency and unbelievably may not factor into the NLDS rotation. Since returning from a three-month stretch on the injured list, Nola has posted an 8.38 ERA over four starts, surrendering 18 earned runs in just 19.1 innings.  Instead, his role could be matchup-based or in a swingman capacity.

Projected Phillies NLDS Rotation

• Game 1: Cristopher Sanchez
• Game 2: Ranger Suarez or Jesus Luzardo
• Game 3: Walker Buehler/Taijuan Walker combo or Aaron Nola as an opener
• Game 4: Suarez or Luzardo
• Game 5: All Hands-on Deck