Sánchez’s Potential for Growth in 2025

Cristopher Sánchez is entering the 2025 season with a focus on improvement, hinting at new additions to his pitching repertoire. While he remained tight-lipped about the specifics, he confirmed he’s working on new pitches. This offseason work echoes the approach of teammate Zack Wheeler, who has introduced new pitches in recent spring trainings.

Coming off a successful 2024 season where he went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 31 starts, earned an All-Star selection, and received NL Pitcher of the Month honors in June, Sánchez is aiming for even greater heights. He also signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension. He emphasized his desire to win a World Series, expressing confidence in the Phillies’ rotation. “Just being honest, this is one of the best rotations, if not the best,” Sánchez stated. “As long as we all stay healthy, we’ll be one of the best.”

FanGraphs projects the Phillies to have the second-best rotation in baseball in 2025, only behind the Dodgers. The projections are:

Dodgers: 18.2 fWAR  

Phillies: 16.9 fWAR  

Braves: 15.3 fWAR  

The NL East rankings are:

Mets: 11.7 fWAR  

Marlins: 10.6 fWAR

Nationals: 9.9 fWAR

The article highlights the impressive talent within each of these top rotations, but also acknowledges that durability and health will be key factors in determining which ultimately performs best.

Sánchez demonstrated his own durability in 2024, throwing a career-high 181 2/3 innings. He aims to maintain or exceed that workload in 2025. “Every time, to get better, you have to keep adjusting,” he said. “The main goal is to stay healthy throughout the season. Go to the All-Star Game again is one of my goals. Again, just try to help the team win to get us to our ultimate goal.”