Could Sánchez reach another gear in 2025?

January 25th, 2025

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

didn’t want to tip his hand.

“I am working on a few new things,” he said through an interpreter on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. “I won’t say what those are, but I’m working on a few new things.”

A new pitch?

“Yeah,” he said, smiling.

It’s fine that Sánchez didn’t reveal anything this week. Phillies pitchers and catchers don’t get to work in Clearwater, Fla., until Feb. 12, so there’s plenty of time between then and Opening Day to learn about the new wrinkle(s) in Sánchez’s arsenal.

But it says something that Sánchez has spent the offseason looking to adjust before hitters have a chance to adjust to him. Sánchez went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 31 starts last year, his first full season in the big leagues. He made his first NL All-Star team. He earned NL Pitcher of the Month honors in June. Around that time, the Phillies signed him to a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension.

But Sánchez, 28, believes he can be even better, just like Zack Wheeler, who is always looking for an edge. Wheeler showed up the past two springs with new pitches: a sweeper in 2023 and a changeup in 2024.

Sánchez could be following suit.

Sánchez on Tuesday mentioned how much he is looking forward to the 2025 season. He said how much he wants to win a World Series.

A really good rotation helps the Phillies’ chances.

“Yeah, just being honest, this is one of the best rotations, if not the best,” Sánchez said. “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, behind the Dodgers:

1 Dodgers, 18.2 fWAR
2 Phillies, 16.9 fWAR
3 Braves, 15.3 fWAR

Rest of the NL East:
18. Mets, 11.7 fWAR
22. Marlins, 10.6 fWAR
26. Nationals, 9.9 fWAR

The Dodgers’ rotation includes Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin and Shohei Ohtani. The Phillies’ rotation includes Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo and Andrew Painter. The Braves’ unit includes Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider.

The title of “Best Rotation” likely will come down to durability and health. Each of those rotations has questions to answer.

Sánchez proved durable last year. He threw a career-high 181 2/3 innings -- 82 1/3 more than he threw in 2023.

If he matches last year’s workload, or exceeds it, it will go a long way in the Phillies’ championship pursuits.

“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.”

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Senior Reporter Todd Zolecki has covered the Phillies since 2003, and for MLB.com since 2009.