Phillies Starting Pitchers and Relievers Ranked Among Top 5

The Philadelphia Phillies were well represented in the infield, with three players among Buster Olney's Top 10 at each position.

The ESPN scribe is ranking the Top 10 players at each position, with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Bryson Stott making the list at first, shortstop and second base.

The Rise of Cristopher Sánchez: From Breakout to Ace

Olney also ranked the Top 10 starting pitchers in the game, and one Phillies pitcher landed on the list, but it wasn't Zack Wheeler, who was an honorable mention. Lefty Cristopher Sánchez came in at No. 5 overall, after finishing as the runner-up in the NL Cy Young race to Paul Skenes.

Sanchez was the majors' breakout pitching star of 2025, mixing his disappearing changeup with that fastball and striking out 212 in 202 innings.

Sanchez has become the team's ace, and paired with a returning Wheeler, has given the Phillies a dynamic 1-2 punch they didn't have during the 2025 postseason. Wheeler missed the postseason to recover from thoracic outlet syndrome.

Managing the Bullpen: Jhoan Duran’s High-Velocity Impact

As for the bullpen, the Phillies have one of the best, with Johan Duran coming in at No. 3 overall. Having Duran for a full season gives the Phillies a much better closing option than Jordan Romano was at the start of last season.

He whiffed 80 hitters in 70 innings, and walked only one in his 20 innings with the Phillies, but he also had an absurd groundball percentage of 65%, the highest for any reliever.

For the Phillies to eclipse their 96 wins from last season, their bullpen has to be better. With Duran and free agent addition Brad Keller, who was listed as an honorable mention, they feel their back-end is much better in 2026.

Keller's success with the Cubs last year prompted the Phillies to work out a two-year, $22 million deal with the right-hander.

With Duran and Keller for a full season, they have a much better back end than they did in 2025.

Check here to see which three Phillies infielders made Olney’s list.

The Best Philly Athletes Age 25 or Younger

Philadelphia has some great young athletes right now, from All-Star Tyrese Maxey to two first-round draft picks on the Eagles Defensive Line (Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter). In honor of the Philly Sports Youth Movement, here is my ranking of the Top Ten Philadelphia Professional Athletes who are 25 years old or younger:

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media