Thanks to the NLDS schedule, the Phillies rotation for Red October just got a whole lot easier

Stumbled across this on my Twitter feed and thought it was a perfect reminder as the Phillies head full speed down the stretch.

This year’s postseason schedule comes with a little gift for the National League, basically setting up the NLDS so that team’s only need three starters.

MLB threw in an extra off day between Games 1 and 2, which means teams won’t have to scramble to find that fourth guy.

MLB 2025 Playoff Dates:

MLB has released the 2025 playoff dates pic.twitter.com/ubtfbIaOUK

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) August 12, 2025

The Phillies now lead the Mets by six games in the NL East

I know right now it’s still too early to call the division but barring some ridiculous September collapse, the Phillies are going to win it. Screw all the “what if” scenarios and let’s focus on how things will look in Red October.

The Phillies Rotation Blueprint

Zack Wheeler. Cristopher Sánchez. Aaron Nola.

That’s your NLDS rotation. Three guys, all fully rested, each one capable of going out and winning a game on their own. With Nola due back next week, this isn’t just speculation, this is the plan.

How Nola looks will certainly impact the said plan but it’s a plan either way, right?

Here’s where the aforementioned plan gets nasty.

A shortened playoff rotation means Jesús Luzardo and Ranger Suárez slide straight into the bullpen. Add Taijuan Walker, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, David Robertson. and Jhoan Duran, and you’re looking at one of the deepest October bullpens in recent memory.

Multiple lefties. Multiple flamethrowers. Guys with swing-and-miss stuff for days.

Just like that, the Phillies bullpen is one of the most dominant in baseball with reinforcements still on the way

That said, the schedule is a bit misleading…

If a Wild Card series goes the full three games, that team’s going to need a fourth starter ready to go for Game 1 of the NLDS.

The Phillies would have to decide how they want their rotation to line up in that situation, especially if they need a starter for Game 3 of a Wild Card Series.

That’s where flexibility matters and the simplest way to avoid all that is earn a first-round bye. For those confused on how that works, a bye is awarded to the two division winners with the best records in each league. 

Current National League Standings

Why That Matters

Interestingly, whoever starts Game 1 of the NLDS wouldn’t necessarily need to make another start in the series (though they could).

So if a three-game Wild Card series went Wheeler–Sánchez–Suárez, the NLDS could be something like Nola–Wheeler–Sánchez–Suárez-Wheeler. It’s a chessboard, and right now, the Phillies are sitting with more than enough pieces to win.

The Phillies already have the lineup to make a deep run. Now the pitching staff is shaping up to be the kind of nightmare that makes opposing hitters start mentally packing for the offseason.

Wheeler. Sánchez. Nola.

Then the bullpen door swings open and the parade of arms begins.

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