Phillies’ team MVP isn’t Kyle Schwarber; instead it’s a lefty starter having a breakout season
originally appeared on The Sporting News
The 2025 season for the Philadelphia Phillies has brought out many heroes for the team. Kyle Schwarber is the most noteworthy, as not only is he having a career year at the plate, but he’s also at risk of leaving the team this offseason.
His looming potential departure has made his record-setting season even more prominent in the minds of Phillies fans. Trea Turner, meanwhile, became an elite defensive shortstop, while adding on incredible hitting ability, potentially ending as the only player above a .300 batting average in the National League this season.
But, despite the efforts of both of those incredible players, for Keith Law of The Athletic, the Phillies’ team MVP is neither of them. He points to another player who has stepped up in the face of injury to become a massive piece for the Phillies heading into the postseason. Law named Phillies lefty starter Cristopher Sanchez as the team MVP.
The Phillies’ team MVP isn’t Kyle Schwarber or Trea Turner, it’s Cristopher Sanchez
Law provided a couple of reasons why he views Sanchez as the Phillies’ team MVP over Schwarber and Turner. For Schwarber, he’s a designated hitter, a position that traditionally isn’t viewed as valuable. In Turner’s case, Law doesn’t see the defensive improvement as 100% real, as he thinks there’s some noise with his defensive performance this season.
“That defensive noise is why I have Sanchesz as the actual Phillies MVP this year,” Law writes. “Not Turner, not Kyle Schwarber, whose contract-year push has produced a career year but who is still a DH who can’t add any defensive value, and loses some on positional value.”
Law’s NL Cy Young opinion is evidence as to why he views Sanchez as the team MVP. “Cristopher Sanchez is closer to Paul Skenes than how (I think) the public perception has them…” Law writes.
With everyone fawning over Skenes, Sanchez has been nearly as good, having a .06 higher ERA than Skenes despite less than half the fanfare. The left-handed pitcher for the Phillies is having a breakout season, and with Zack Wheeler out, Sanchez’s emergence as a front-line starter is even more important.
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Sanchez has a 13-5 record with a 2.57 ERA in 31 starts this season. Across 196.1 innings pitched (the most of any season in his career), Sanchez has a career high 204 strikeouts with a WHIP of 1.085, the best mark of his career thus far.
He also has 7.7 WAR, which is a bit higher than Skenes’ 7.2 WAR on the season. It’s also higher than Shohei Ohtani (7.5 WAR), who’s slated to earn the NL MVP award this season. While pitchers (who only pitch) don’t win MVP awards, if going solely by WAR, Sanchez has been the best player in the NL this season.
While Schwarber and his 54 home runs and 130 RBIs, and Turner and his NL-leading .305 batting average and 179 hits, are worthy candidates for the Phillies team MVP, Sanchez is just as deserving of the award.
Not only is he having a breakout season, but it’s coming at the perfect time, with Wheeler out with thoracic outlet syndrome. Sanchez is the Phillies’ Game 1 starter for the NLDS, and he’s been the most valuable Phillies player this season.
