Former star pitcher drops honest admission on Phillies’ struggling rotation

With the Philadelphia Phillies on a nine-game losing streak, having also lost 14 of their last 17 contests, there’s no doubt that the team has been struggling mightily. As fans hope for a breakout from the Phillies amidst the nine-game skid, this former player reveals what’s been the most surprising aspect of the struggles.

Former star pitcher for Philadelphia, Dontrelle Willis, was on Fox Sports talking about the team slumping, and while he went through the offensive numbers, he would say how the pitching rotation has been “shocking.” He pointed out how, though with Zack Wheeler coming back, Aaron Nola has a 5.06 ERA and Jesus Luzardo has a 6.91 ERA.

“Aaron Nola’s got a five, and Jesus Luzardfo, who’s my boy, almost got a seven. He’s a guy, and you just gave him some money. These are guys that you need to lean on, on the front line of the rotation,” Willis said on Thursday.

“They got to pitch better, especially in that ballpark, because it can’t just be a shootout every single game, because that’ll put a ton of pressure on that offense, especially when they’re struggling,” Willis continued.

“What is shocking is I didn’t think the starting pitching rotation would be this poor this early.”@DTrainMLB talks about what’s been going wrong with the Phillies in the first month of the season. pic.twitter.com/DyohFpL5oi

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 24, 2026

Dontrelle Willis highlights the Phillies’ offensive disappointments

With the struggles, peoping having been comparing the Phillies to the New York Mets, who are just coming off a 12-game losing streak, as both had major expectations going into the season. However, Willis would say how New York has some “interchangeable pieces,: while Philadelphia has been rolling with the same squad for a few years, citing the offensive disappointments.

“If you look at the lineup right now, [Alec] Bohm’s hitting .151; he is the bat-to-ball RBI getter in the lineup. If you look at Kyle Schwarber, he’s hitting .143 in his last seven ball games. He’s got to be better. Trea Turner, even with his speed, hitting .138 over his last seven ball games, slugging .172, that is unacceptable, because you have to provide traffic,” Willis said.

The Phillies, who are at an 8-17 record, look to snap the nine-game losing streak and turn their season around, starting with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, beginning Friday night.

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