The Philadelphia Phillies are on fire entering September , coming off an August in which they won 21 games.
They have solidified their spot in the National League playoff picture, putting heat back on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and moving into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the league.
If they want to continue moving in the right direction, they need to finish the regular season on a high note. These three pitchers are key to the Phillies being able to achieve that goal and qualify for the playoffs.
Aug 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For most of the season, the No. 5 spot in the Philadelphia starting rotation was a black hole. But over the last few weeks, it has turned into a strength, with Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter performing at incredibly high levels.
Nola's ERA was a season-worst 6.04 on June 29; entering September, his season-long ERA is down to 4.93, below 5.00 for the first time since April 14, his third start of the campaign. When Painter was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, his ERA was 7.06 and is now down to 5.95.
Both of them are giving the team chances to win each time they take the mound, which will help the Phillies continue making up ground in the standings.
Aug 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after getting final out during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Given how inconsistent the Philadelphia offense has been at times, they need strong performances from the bullpen in what will be some close games. At the back end of that bullpen is Jhoan Duran, who has turned into one of the best closers in baseball.
He has been lights out thus far in 2026, and the Phillies need that to continue if they are going to make any noise down the stretch. Duran has converted 29 saves with a 1.61 ERA and 3.0 bWAR.
With some shakiness in the bridge getting the ball to Duran, his performance is all the more important down the stretch.
Aug 30, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If Philadelphia is going to make any noise in the NL, they need their starting rotation to be a true strength again. That can only occur if Zack Wheeler is playing up to the best of his capabilities, which he showed signs of in his last start.
After a brutal stretch, he dominated the Los Angeles Angels to help the Phillies get a sweep . It was a strong finish to August after a tumultuous few starts in which he went through one of the worst stretches of his career.
Wheeler still has a few kinks to work out, but he took a step in the right direction. Hopefully, he can build upon that and head into the playoffs with positive momentum, giving Philadelphia the strongest trio in the MLB along with Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo .
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Ranking Three Most Important Pitchers for Phillies in September .
