Phillies Sanchez Better Than Skubal and Skenes? MLB Execs, Scouts Elevate Ace to Elite Status
Not only do the Philadelphia Phillies have an ace pitcher just entering his prime, but it seems executives and scouts […]
Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Not only do the Philadelphia Phillies have an ace pitcher just entering his prime, but it seems executives and scouts around MLB believe the one-time All-Star is now among the five best pitchers in the game. There are once again high aspirations for the Phillies entering the 2026 season. After winning 96 games last year, they spent big ($150 million) to bring back team leader Kyle Schwarber , and gave emerging pitcher Jesus Lazardo a new multi-year deal worth $135 million.
Yet it feels different than previous years because Philadelphia feels they have a no-doubt ace leading the rotation this season. After some struggles early in his career, Cristopher Sanchez has taken leaps forward over the last three seasons. In 2024, he earned All-Star honors for the first time, then posted a career-year in 2025 with a 13-5 record and a 2.
50 ERA. It seems that his further growth last season solidified his place with many evaluators around the game that Sanchez is among the crème de la crème of starting pitchers in 2026. On Thursday, The Athletic released a survey of 20 MLB executives and scouts to get their thoughts on who the 50 best pitchers are ahead of the new season.
The results were based on a points system based on the level of pitcher they are — A No. 1 grade gets five points, a No. 2 grade gets four, a No.