Rendell: Phillies have makings of contending as soon as next year

MAYBE IT'S because our professional sports teams have been so bad for so long. Or maybe it's because the actuary tables tell me that if I am going to see a championship, it better be soon. Or maybe it's because I tend to look at our teams through rose-colored glasses. But I'm feeling incredibly optimistic about the future of our Philadelphia Phillies.

When the Phillies started unloading the stars who brought us so many division titles and a World Series victory, I thought it was the right move, but I was a little despondent, because I thought the rebuilding process might take five or six years. I believe it's possible that the Phillies will be playing significant games as early as September 2017 and, if not by next year, I think they will almost certainly make the playoffs in 2018.

Why? Because baseball is and always will be about pitching, and the Phils are well-stocked for the future. Their current rotation is good and full of promise to become much better. Their best starter has been Vince Velasquez, who is 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA. He has struck out 114 batters in 102 2/3 innings. His stuff is electric and he is only 24. Their second-best starter has been Jeremy Hellickson, a veteran in the rotation who is only 29, with an 8-7 record and a 3.70 ERA. The Phillies properly resisted the temptation to trade him for prospects because they didn't get a good enough deal, but I wouldn't be at all unhappy if he were a part of the rotation for years to come. He is not overpowering, but he is an "innings eater" who keeps the Phillies in each and every game. Although Jerad Eickhoff's record this season is a mediocre 6-12, he has a 3.68 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He has terrific stuff, and, at 26, he has an incredibly bright future.

Aaron Nola, who was expected to be the ace of the staff this year coming off his solid performance in 2015, started off great, but struggled of late and is only 6-9 with a 4.78 ERA before landing on the disabled list. He is too good to put up those types of numbers, and although he might not be the ace we hoped for, he is almost a lock to be a steady No. 3 or 4 starter, providing he gets healthy. Zach Eflin, a relatively recent call-up from the minors, is 3-4 with a 4.77 ERA, but his WHIP is only 1.24 and his ERA would be much better if not for the fact that, in one start, he gave up eight earned runs in less than two innings. Nola and Eflin are 23 and 22, respectively.

Lastly, the ace we had hoped Nola would become is probably named Jake Thompson, who will make his first big league start Saturday. He is 22 and 8-0 in his last 11 starts for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. His overall stats for the Piggies this season are 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA and an excellent 1.10 WHIP. He commands all of his pitches well and at times can be overpowering. Also at Lehigh Valley is 24-year-old Ben Lively. He was 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP for the Reading Phils before being promoted to Triple A at Lehigh Valley, where he has gone 6-4 with a 3.50 ERA and an impressive 1.05 WHIP. Another young pitcher the Phillies got via the trade route is 24-year-old Alec Asher, who is 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA and an incredible 0.61 WHIP in his first four starts at Lehigh Valley.

As important as starters are, no team can win without an effective bullpen. Believe it or not, that is exactly what the Phillies have. Setup man Hector Neris (27) has a 2.43 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in 55 appearances, and has struck out 66 batters in only 55 2/3 innings headinginto the weekend series at San Diego. Closer Jeanmar Gómez (28) might actually be the best in the National League. In 47 appearances heading into the weekend, he has 27 saves, a 2.72 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

So, all in all, there is every reason to believe that the Phillies' pitching staff will be one of the best young groups in the league as early as 2017, and could come to dominate in the years to follow. Will that be enough? The Phils will need to score some runs, but the Cleveland Indians are proving this year that you can win the division based on great pitching alone. Will the Phils score enough runs to support their excellent pitching in the future? Well, there is good news on that front, as the current team has multiple legitimate offensive threats in Odubel Herrera (24), Cameron Rupp (27), Maikel Franco (23), Tommy Joseph (25) and Aaron Altherr (25). Better yet, additional help is on the way from Lehigh Valley in top prospects Nick Williams (22, outfield), and J.P. Crawford (21, shortstop). There is even more potential help in the pipeline at Reading, where two young sluggers - Rhys Hoskins (23, first base) and Dylan Cozens (22, righfield) - are leading the minor leagues in home runs with 33 and 32, respectively. And our catcher of the future, Jorge Alfaro (23), has hit 12 homers, driven in 55 runs and is batting .288 in 77 games.

So my message to New York Mets, Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins fans is that you better hope your teams get a ring soon. It's only a matter of time until our Fightin' Phillies are once again the team to beat.

@GovEdRendell