Phillies rotation ranked third in MLB heading into playoffs

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel puts Philadelphia's starters behind only the Dodgers and Brewers even with Jesus Luzardo's injury uncertainty.

The Philadelphia Phillies are battling for an NL Wild Card spot as the regular season winds down, and ESPN's Kiley McDaniel rates their starting rotation as the third-best in Major League Baseball heading into the playoffs.

McDaniel listed Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Andrew Painter and Jesus Luzardo as the rotation's key arms, placing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of Philadelphia.

Luzardo landed on the injured list late in the season, and it remains possible he returns to the mix or pitches out of the bullpen in October, according to the report.

Even without him, the group draws high marks. Sanchez is described as a strong Cy Young candidate who could finish runner-up in the National League for the second consecutive year, while Wheeler has rebounded from a rough stretch to rank among baseball's better pitchers. Nola has enjoyed a career resurgence and could handle a No. 3 role, with Painter a potential X-factor despite his uncertainty.

The report concludes that if the Phillies reach the World Series, it would likely come on the strength of this starting staff, even accounting for Luzardo's missed time.