A Philadelphia Phillies starter has been quietly successful while the rotation has been dominant. This season Cristopher Sánchez has been having a breakout year. After moving into the rotation at the end of last season, Sánchez has solidified his spot. So far this season Sánchez has excelled as the Phillies fourth starter. Sánchez deserves more recognition for his success. While Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez have been leading the way, the contributions made by Sánchez have made the Phillies rotation even more dominant. The Wheeler, Suárez, and Sánchez groups, along with Aaron Nola, are among the top four in a starting rotation in baseball right now.
However, the fifth starting spot has been a question mark. Spencer Turnbull started the year as the Phillies fifth starter before moving to the bullpen after Taijuan Walker returned from injury. Turnbull was quite good in the starter role before Phillies manager Rob Thomson moved him to the bullpen. Walker has a 3-1 record, a 5.73 ERA, and 30 strikeouts in seven starts. A 70 ERA+, a 1.593 WHIP, and a 5.66 FIP help display that while Walker has a good record, it is deceiving. Throughout this drama, Sánchez quietly holds down the fourth starter role in the rotation. It is time to appreciate what Sánchez has done for the Phillies on the mound this season.
Phillies Starter Quietly Successful
Sánchez Contributing To The Dominance Of The Phillies’ Starting Rotation
So far, in 12 starts this season, Sánchez has a 3-3 record with a 2.71 ERA and 59 strikeouts. Currently, Sánchez has the 10th-best ERA in baseball among qualified pitchers. Furthermore, Sánchez has the fourth-best ERA in the NL among qualified pitchers. In addition, Sánchez has a 148 ERA+ and a 2.50 FIP. That ERA+ ranks fifth in the NL and the FIP second in the NL. Sánchez has a 1.342 WHIP as well. Sánchez has been quietly thriving for the Phillies this season. Sánchez currently has a 0.136 home run per nine innings ratio that leads the NL. There has been one home run hit against Sánchez this season. Sánchez has allowed the third-fewest earned runs among qualified NL pitchers.
Opposing batters have a .263/.318/.336 line against Sánchez this season. In addition to that, they have a .654 OPS and a .337 BABIP against Sánchez this season. This OPS is on track to be a career best for Sánchez. Last season, the opposing batters had a .692 OPS against Sánchez, his current personal record. This season, opposing batters have a 0.4% home run rate against Sánchez, which is another career best. Additionally, opposing batters have a 21.0% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate against Sánchez this season. Sánchez has been quietly successful this season with a 1.1 bWAR currently.
Some Fielding Success To Add To Pitching Success For Sánchez
Defensively, Sánchez has one Defensive Run Saved this season, which is on track to be a career best. This is tied for the seventh-best Defensive Runs Saved total on the Phillies this season. Furthermore, Sánchez is tied with Nola, Suárez, and Matt Strahm for the most Defensive Runs Saved among Phillies pitchers this season. Sánchez currently leads NL pitchers in assists with 14. However, Sánchez also leads NL pitchers in errors committed with four. Sánchez also has a 2.17 range factor per nine innings, which ranks fourth among NL pitchers. With a 1.33 range factor per game, Sánchez has the third-best ranking in that category among NL pitchers. Opposing players have recorded nine stolen bases against Sánchez. However, it is worth noting that those are not entirely to be blamed on Sánchez.
Main Photo Credits: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
