What is the best playoff rotation the Philadelphia Phillies can employ this postseason?

The Philadelphia Phillies enter Saturday’s game with a 94-66 record after winning the National League East and securing a first-round bye to the 2024 postseason.

But with one of the deepest rotations in MLB this season, the question remains: How should the rotation be determined for October?

To say the least, it’s a favorable starting position that most other teams can only dream of.

However, there is an optimal way to set up the rotation, and it would benefit the Phillies immensely if they got it right.

Wheeler will make his final start of the regular season on Saturday.

He has been the team’s ace for several years and has proven why with his best season to date.

In 31 starts entering Saturday, the veteran pitcher has posted a 2.56 ERA with a 0.960 WHIP, 213 strikeouts and a 159 ERA+ over 193 2/3 innings.

With 6 1/3 innings on Saturday, Wheeler would break the 200 innings mark for the second time in his career, both with Philadelphia, and if he allows an earned run or less in the process, an argument could be made that he is the Cy Young winner. National League winner defeats Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale.

The first spot in the rotation is the easiest because there is no doubt that Wheeler is the ace.

From here it gets a little more crowded.

Aaron Nola was the Phillies’ star for many years before Wheeler signed with the club.

While he was serviceable and even great at times in that role, he is much better suited as the number two pitcher in the rotation.

Nola is the best example of a workhorse in the game today.

He has made 32 or more starts in six consecutive 162-game seasons and qualified for the ERA title in eight of his 10 years in the MLB.

He is scheduled to make another start in the final game of the regular season on Sunday, his 33rd of the year, and could break 200 innings for the fourth time in his career.

This year, Nola has posted a 3.52 ERA in 194 1/3 innings and 32 starts, with a WHIP of 1.184, 190 strikeouts and an ERA+ of 116.

Having Wheeler and Nola go back-to-back would go a long way toward saving the bullpen, as both pitchers can easily throw seven innings on any given day.

Now things get a little easier as the club announced that Ranger Suarez will be the fourth starter in the rotation for the playoffs.

Sanchez has been a revelation for Philadelphia this year.

While he has always been a Good As a pitcher, he has never pitched as much in a single season as he did this year.

While most pitchers would completely fall off after reaching their career high in innings pitched, Sanchez was still a serviceable starter for the team, even great at times.

While he was a solid option in the regular season, the Phillies would best use him the way they plan to use Ranger this year and not have him throw more than 75 pitches in a game.

With the lighter workload, Sanchez would be able to vent early and often, helping his players improve while his groundball-inducing repertoire does what it does best.

After Suarez’s last start, it was announced that he would be the fourth option in the rotation for the postseason.

Suarez has been struggling with back pain for almost two months and is also apparently struggling with fatigue issues.

This came just months after the left-hander became a leading candidate for the National League Cy Young Award after posting a 2.27 ERA in 103 innings in his first 17 starts.

In his next 10 starts, he pitched to a 6.04 ERA over 47 2/3 innings and only managed more than five innings in a start three times during that span.

Suarez will have a 75-pitch limit in October, which worked for the left-hander and Philadelphia last year, allowing him to pitch at 1.93 over 18 2/3 innings in four starts.

The Phillies won’t need a fifth starter, even in a seven-game series, which is great for the club as they have struggled with production from that spot for most of the year.

Pitching has been a big part of what has gotten Philadelphia to this point so far.

Pitching will be a big part of helping the Phillies find success in the 2024 postseason.