Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation for 2022: What we can expect

Jun 4, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 4, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Could the Philadelphia Phillies possibly have one of the best rotations in baseball this season? If all goes according to plan, they may at least be able to have one of the better starting five in the game.

Last year’s starting pitching staff was far from the biggest strength of the team. As poorly as the bullpen performed, the starting pitchers were responsible for their own losses as well.

In 2022, they’ll look to correct that. With the possibility of still making some changes, the state of the Phillies starting rotation at the moment should have you feeling pretty confident.

Phillies number one starter Zack Wheeler should have Cy Young on his mind

The new ace of the Phillies, Zack Wheeler had to settle for a runner-up position in the 2021 Cy Young race. Hopefully, this gives him some fuel to be even better in 2022.

Since joining the Phillies ahead of the 2020 season, Wheeler is 18-12 with a 2.82 ERA. He led the league in complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched last season. Oh, and he also struck out 247 batters. Again, this was the best in the league.

There is no question who the number one starter on this team is right now. Wheeler was signed to a huge deal with some gigantic expectations. Thus far, he has lived up to them.

Helping to anchor the rotation and stop any losing streaks from extending to five games, the Phillies will need just as much, if not more, out of Wheeler in 2022. He’s a guy who has proven we can count on him. Fortunately, his contract isn’t even halfway over.