Who will the Philadelphia Phillies face in the MLB Playoffs? Analyzing the matchups

The Philadelphia Phillies are coasting into the MLB Playoffs. Despite losing three of four games to the New York Mets over the weekend, the Phillies clinched the NL East thanks to a win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

The Phillies are as loaded as ever, with a lineup which features Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and JT Realmuto. The starting rotation is not to be messed with, either, as the Phillies can throw Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez in any five-game series come the NLDS. Because they won the NL East, the Phillies will host postseason games at Citizens Bank Park, where fans are eagerly awaiting another Red October. However, this also puts Philadelphia in an unfamiliar position, as the Braves won the division the previous six seasons.

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Philadelphia Phillies postseason rotation and lineup projections

As mentioned, the Phillies rotation is among the best in the National League. While Taijuan Walker should not receive a postseason start for multiple reasons, he could be available out of the bullpen. Here is what the Phillies playoff rotation should look like in a Best-of-5 or Best-of-7 series. Keep in mind, the fourth starter may not receive many opportunities depending on availability and rest. The following rotation is presented in no particular order.

In this scenario, Wheeler would ideally get the Game 1 start if the Phillies can plan it correctly. The lineup is just as fearsome to any opposing team.

MLB Playoff Bracket: Who could the Phillies face in the postseason?

The Philadelphia Phillies currently hold the second seed in the National League and are one game back of the Los Angeles Dodgers. If the season ended today, they would get a bye to the NLDS, and could face any number of teams given the seeding and outcomes of the respective NL Wild Card series.

Despite all of this, the Phillies are likely to play the Division Series against either the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets or San Diego Padres.

Considering their regular season edge, the Phillies would welcome a matchup with the Padres in the NLDS, however unlikely that may be. However, facing the Diamondbacks -- the team which knocked them out of the 2023 postseason -- would bring with it some challenges and past demons.