The Philadelphia Phillies looked buried before the season had even reached May. After stumbling to a 9-19 start and becoming one of the worst teams in the National League, Philadelphia fired Rob Thomson and handed the team to Don Mattingly. Four months later, the Phillies sit atop the NL Wild Card race and are chasing the Braves for the division. Now, with October approaching, Buster Olney believes there is one reason nobody wants to draw them in a short series.

“Other teams are scared to death about playing the Phillies in a postseason series, a short series, because they would have to face Wheeler and Sanchez, and yes, Jesus Luzardo,” said ESPN’s Buster Olney on Sportscenter.

With Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo leading the staff, the Phillies have one of the strongest rotations in baseball. Philadelphia leads MLB in rotation strikeouts, while its pitchers have also done a strong job limiting walks.

Wheeler has a 3.23 ERA with a 12-5 record across 24 outings, though a rough August inflated those numbers. He posted a 6.26 ERA during the month and surrendered a season-high eight runs on August 24. The Phillies later traced part of the issue to his glove position, which was sitting about two inches lower than usual during his windup. Since making the adjustment, Wheeler has responded with two strong starts, including six innings of one-run ball against Atlanta.

Sánchez has been even steadier. The left-hander is 16-5 with a 2.58 ERA and owns the best pitching WAR in the majors. Earlier this season, he also put together a 50⅔-inning scoreless streak, the longest ever by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, keeping him firmly in the NL Cy Young conversation.

Then there is Luzardo, whose turnaround has added another layer to Philadelphia’s rotation. His ERA stood at 5.50 five months ago, but he has posted a 2.39 ERA over his last 22 starts. In August, he went 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 34⅓ innings, earning NL Pitcher of the Month.

That run continued Monday against Atlanta. Luzardo threw the first complete game and first shutout of his career, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out 12 in a 1-0 Phillies win.

“But man, Jesús Luzardo is a beast, and he showed that today, throwing first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 30 batters he faced. He got 23 missed swings during the course of this game, mixing that electric fastball with that sweeper that he had. I don’t think people realize just how good he’s been,” Buster Olney said on SportsCenter.

Olney then pointed to Luzardo’s numbers since June 28.

“If you go back to June 28th of this year, since that date, Jesús Luzardo is first among all pitchers in the National League in ERA. He’s first in strikeouts, 111 total, first in opponents’ OPS at .504.”

Luzardo now owns a 2.87 ERA with a 14-5 record, while his 221 strikeouts rank second in the National League. Those numbers mattered even more Monday because Philadelphia’s offense gave him almost no margin for error.

The Phillies managed only four hits against Atlanta, with Kyle Schwarber’s eighth-inning homer producing the game’s only run. Luzardo made it enough.

“I knew Donnie probably wouldn’t let me go too much more,” Luzardo said after the game. “Thankful for Donnie for giving me a chance to go back out there in the ninth.”

Come October, Luzardo, Wheeler and Sánchez are expected to anchor Philadelphia’s rotation, with Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter competing for a possible fourth spot.

And after Monday’s win, the Phillies remain four games behind Atlanta in the NL East while holding the first NL Wild Card spot.

Monday’s win also kept the Phillies four games behind the Braves in the NL East while holding the first NL Wild Card spot.