The Philadelphia Phillies are not underdogs anymore. Going into Red October, there is no surprise Cinderella tag, no come-from-behind story for the Phillies. For the second year straight, the Phillies are National League East champions and own the second-longest active postseason streak behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Anticipation runs rampant in the air in Philadelphia. From the hope of redemption for a long-tenured starting pitcher to the flair for the dramatic from a certain franchise player, the storylines that are making up October are shaping up to be interesting. One thing is for certain, however. The entire city is demanding — no, expecting — a deep October run.
The Aaron Nola redemption tour
Going into Spring Training, the story surrounding Aaron Nola was consistent with that of the past several years: the longest-tenured Phillies pitcher was shaping up to have a great year ahead of him, but worries of his tendency to give up at least one home run per game gave many pause.
No one expected what was to come.
Nine starts into the season, Aaron Nola looked like anything but the rock he had been in the Phillies’ rotation for the first 10 years of his career in which he pitched a 3.70 ERA rarely ever missing a start. Instead, Nola owned a 6.16 ERA with a 1-7 record not even two months into the season. Nola hit the IL May 14 with a right ankle sprain. A month later, Nola’s time on the Injured List became an extended absence after an MRI revealed a stress fracture in his right rib.
Since returning from the IL on August 17, it has been much of the same story for Nola. His final outing of the regular season, however, did provide a spark of hope for the Phillies. Nola lasted a season-high eight innings against the Twins, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out nine batters.
The story for Nola going into the postseason is simple: redemption. He is the fourth starting pitcher on the totem pole behind Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Ranger Suárez. Nola will need to earn every appearance he gets. But if he takes the start or two he gets and dominates? Then the Louisiana native just might find himself redeemed in the eyes of the Phillies faithful.
Is Sánchez ready to take up the mantle?
Speaking of Cristopher Sánchez, the 28-year-old southpaw out of the Dominican Republic has cemented himself as an asset to the Phillies’ rotation since joining the battery full-time in 2023. In 2025, he took it to a whole new level. With the looming absence of ace Zack Wheeler from the pitching staff, Sánchez has found himself taking up the mantle of ace starting pitcher.
Ending the season with a 2.50 ERA, Sánchez led the Major Leagues with an 8.0 WAR on the year. The three-pitch pitcher primarily uses his sinker and change-up, using a nearly identical throwing angle to fool opposing batters. For the first time in his career, he ended the season with over 200 innings pitched (202.0) and strikeouts (212) further proving his durability.
Going into the postseason, he is the man for the Phillies. Sánchez will be the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies and will find himself duking it out against the top starting pitchers on every staff they battle against. The question is, can he remain as poised as he has been when the season is on the line?
The Showman on the big stage
You do not get a nickname like “The Showman” by chance. Bryce Harper has demonstrated time and again that he not only thrives in the spotlight, he craves it. His 17 home runs in 53 postseason games projects out to a 51 home run pace over a full season, all the while owning a 1.016 OPS. While 2025 may have found Harper taking more of a backseat to other teammates, in particular Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, Harper is still the heartbeat that can get the lineup pumping in an instant.
A postseason is defined by the big moments. The clutch hits, heroic at bats, and a player’s ability to rise up with the stakes define not only their season, but their career. For Harper, the true season begins Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
Rob Thomson’s game of matchup chess
For the person holding the lineup card, every decision matters in October. Every matchup, pitch, and defensive orientation matters when a short series can be determined by a single decision. In his fourth straight postseason since becoming the Phillies’ manager in June 2022, Rob Thomson has felt that pressure more than just about anyone. Turn on the radio on any given day and a pundit is criticizing his every decision.
In 2025, Thomson’s proclivity for fluidity has become more pronounced than ever. With a double platoon in left and right field and an at times injured infield, Thomson has been changing the lineup based on matchups more than ever. But he is not the only one.
As Dave Dombrowski said to the media on Tuesday, creating the lineup based on the matchup has become the standard operating procedure in the 2020s across baseball.
“I see the advance scouting reports sent to us in preparation for every series,” said Dombrowski per PSN’s Christopher Babos. “I've already received the two clubs, and they have a left-handed hitting lineup , and of course a left-hand pitcher and a right-handed lineup It's just the way of the 20s…”
It will be Thomson’s job to balance lineup optimization versus who is simply hot and who is not amongst the outfield. Nick Castellanos has been well-documented as wanting to play every day, just as Max Kepler does. Add in a strong finish to the season from Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader, and Otto Kemp, and the outfield is all of a sudden very packed. Throw in a valuable fifth infielder in Edmundo Sosa and there are a lot of potential moving parts in the lineup. In October, those decisions don’t just fill a lineup card. They decide the series.
The Days of the underdog are over
The city of Philadelphia loves to be the scrappy underdog in a story, dating back to 1776. It’s in the city’s DNA to fight back by any means necessary. As the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles can tell you, “a hungry dog runs faster.”
But the Phillies are not the underdog anymore. Going into the postseason, they are the alpha dog. The team with the second-best record in baseball, performing better than the supposed mega-team Los Angeles Dodgers in the regular season and outpacing the billion-dollar offseason of the New York Mets. There is no Cinderella story to be told here, just a story of expectation and accountability.
Nothing is guaranteed in October. When you’re the team to beat, storylines don’t carry you — performance does. That’s where the real story begins and ends.
