“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the All-Star game here,” said 21-year-old Eddie Mazurkiewicz. “There’s been a lot of excitement for a while now and I feel like people are ready for it.”
Numerous events will take place over the next four days in honor of the league’s All-Stars. And through all the festivities, there’s just one thing missing — or we should say, one person missing — Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler.
The right-hander has been left off the National League roster, which features six Phillies players: Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Christopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo. The snub left many voicing their frustration, including World Series champion Jimmy Rollins.
“I 100 percent believe he was snubbed from being an All-Star,” Rollins said. “We’ve seen the guys they want to make stars come up and have five starts and become an All-Star because they have a name for themselves. Zack Wheeler has been doing it for a while and part of being an All-Star is having a reputation of being a great starter, that he is. He’s been Cy Young second place for a number of years. The guy over in Pittsburgh [Paul Skenes] is pretty good so we understand that.
“But for him to not be in the All-Stars, especially in this city, coming back with nine wins in the first half, that’s a pretty tough pill to swallow. And if I’m him I would be [ticked]. But I would want to make sure if I’m him, I’m taking it out on everyone who had a chance to vote me in. And we open against the Dodgers when we start the second half. So, that’s all I’m saying. I’m going to leave it at that.”
In Wheeler’s first 14 starts of the season since returning from thoracic outlet syndrome, he posted a 2.28 ERA.
Wheeler is currently scheduled to start on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, making him ineligible to pitch for the midsummer classic two days later.
Various MLB players are displayed at the All-Star Village at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, and Zack Wheeler’s face is not among them.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
“Most over-hated player in baseball,” said 17-year-old Caleb Garbcht. “He should’ve been in over Luzardo. Should have a Cy Young to his name. Should be in the All-Star Game. I think this motivates him. I think we’re going to see him come back in the playoffs, throwing 97, 98. Honestly, he’s going to be more motivated than ever.”
Haley Garbcht, 22, Caleb’s sibling, added: “Yeah, Philly loves an underdog. So, Wheeler will just keep getting better and finally get the recognition he deserves.”
Following the Phillies’ 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, which saw Wheeler tie a career-high with 14 strikeouts across seven innings, the 36 year old revealed he was bothered by the snub.
“I feel like that’s kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” Wheeler said after his stellar performance.
The quote has now led to a new Garrett Stubbs T-shirt, featuring the outline of a rooster with Wheeler’s No. 45 inscribed on it, which pays homage to Wheeler’s walkout song “Rooster” by Alice in Chains.
“Stubbs always brings the energy and does everything he can to get the guys ramped up,” said 18-year-old Brian Donahue. “[Wheeler] will just prove that he deserved it during the season and in the playoffs, and people will regret not picking him.”
DETROIT — As soon as he heard what Zack Wheeler said, an idea started to form in Garrett Stubbs’ mind.
Despite a 2.28 ERA through his first 14 starts of the season, the Phillies right-hander had been left off the National League All-Star roster. He had not made the initial team through the player vote, and has not been added as a replacement, either. Wheeler is scheduled to pitch on Sunday, the Phillies’ final game before the All-Star break, which almost certainly led to the snub — even though Wheeler said he would still be willing to pitch an inning.
The quote was exactly the kind of thing that Stubbs likes to put on a T-shirt. The Phillies backup catcher, known as a key contributor to the clubhouse culture, has created several shirts in the past displaying the Phillies’ inside jokes, which he then distributes to his teammates.
Last season, Stubbs handed out light blue shirts with the image of former Phillie Harrison Bader and the words “What a Gift” emblazoned on them. It became a catchphrase of sorts for the outfielder after the Phillies acquired Bader at the trade deadline, and many of his teammates wore the shirts in his honor during pregame activities.
But the shirts that the majority of the Phillies players, coaches, and staff wore ahead of Friday’s series opener in Detroit were more than just a fun joke. It was a message.
After his dominant start against Cincinnati on Tuesday, Zack Wheeler said of his All-Star snub: “I felt like that’s kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded.”Carolyn Kaster
The words “That’s a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded” were printed on red shirts, along with the outline of a rooster with Wheeler’s No. 45 inscribed on it. At home games, Wheeler walks out to the song “Rooster,” by Alice in Chains.
“It means what he was talking about in his interview,” Stubbs said about the shirts. “Just that he deserves being an All-Star. And it’s [B.S.] that he’s not.”
While Stubbs jumped into action creating the shirts with the company BreakingT, the team almost didn’t receive them. Bad weather delayed the shipment to Comerica Park in Detroit. But when BreakingT reached out to UPS for help, they happened to get in contact with a Phillies fan in Michigan who was sympathetic to their cause.
“She took it into her own hands to make sure that they got here in time,” Stubbs said.
He added that he’s working on trying to get the UPS worker to a game at Comerica Park in thanks for her help.
“Just testament to our fan base,” Stubbs said. “One, how big it is, and then two, the extra mile that they’re willing to go. … They’re just they’re in love with what we do here, and it’s cool to see them get involved, and especially to help us out. So hopefully we can get in touch with her and get her tickets to the game, and she can enjoy it.”
Wheeler didn’t know what Stubbs was planning, but he laughed when the catcher handed him a shirt on Friday. Stubbs didn’t expect him to wear it — “He usually sticks to his own stuff,” he said — but the majority of the rest of the team did. Even interim manager Don Mattingly had the shirt on during his pregame media availability.
“He should be an All-Star,” Stubbs said. “His numbers are incredible, he’s an incredible guy, he’s a good representation of the league, and he should be in there.”
Extra bases
About 30 minutes prior to first pitch on Friday, Justin Crawford was scratched with left knee soreness. Derek Hill drew into the lineup in his place. … Cristopher Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64).
CINCINNATI — Every year, Zack Wheeler has the same three goals.
Win the Cy Young Award, win the World Series, and make the All-Star Game. After returning from thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that has ended other pitchers’ careers, he didn’t diminish his own expectations.
And so it rankles the Phillies right-hander that one of those goals is officially out of reach this year due to factors out of his control.
Never mind that Wheeler posted a 2.28 ERA in his first 14 starts since returning from the surgery, including a dominant seven innings against the Reds on Tuesday night. Wheeler was not selected to his fourth All-Star Game through the player ballot, which was announced on Saturday. And because he is lined up to start for the Phillies on Sunday and is therefore ineligible to pitch two days later in the midsummer classic, he cannot be named a replacement like teammate Jesús Luzardo, who was one of three pitchers added to the team on Tuesday.
“It [ticks] me off, and it’s kind of B.S. Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it,” Wheeler said. “Just because I pitch on a certain day, I can’t pitch an All-Star Game, or even be there, or get the recognition for it. They could have did it a few different ways. I didn’t necessarily have to get chosen right away, but I feel like I was right there, so maybe they put me in and automatically just shoot me right back out and put somebody else in.
“There’s certain ways to do it, and you figure they would have a clue about it by now, how many All-Star games they’ve had, and I think it’s kind of just a B.S. rule that just because I pitch on a certain day, I get punished for it.”
Kyle Schwarber (left) celebrates with Bryce Harper after hitting a two-run homer.Carolyn Kaster
Wheeler said he typically throws a bullpen session the second or third day after his start and informed his agent he would be willing to pitch an inning on July 14, but was told he is not allowed.
The Phillies had a similar snub last season. Cristopher Sánchez was passed over for an All-Star selection despite a 2.59 ERA in the first half, due to also pitching the final game before the break. The club activated the bonus clause in his contract for an All-Star selection, but Sánchez did not get league recognition.
“It just [stinks] that we have to deal with it,” said Kyle Schwarber, who is one of six Phillies on the National League roster. “We dealt with it last year, dealt with it this year now, and when someone who’s putting up the numbers deserves it, you want them to just get that nod.”
But even if Wheeler will not earn his third consecutive All-Star selection, he certainly put on an All-Star-caliber performance on Tuesday. He held the Reds to one run over seven innings as he pitched with some extra motivation.
Wheeler’s 14 strikeouts matched a career-high.
“I felt like that’s kind of a reminder,” he said, “for whoever needs to be reminded.”
Wheeler leaned on all six of his pitches to keep the Reds off-balance. He generated 20 swings and misses. Early in his outing, his sweeper was his main strikeout pitch. But by the third time through Cincinnati’s order, Wheeler started throwing his splitter more often late in counts as he tried to give hitters different looks.
“I think that’s the one thing with Zack that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “If a guy’s got a weakness, he can get there with different pitches. It’s either the backdoor sink, he can go four [seam] up, he’s got the sweeper, he’s got the split, so there’s weapons for all different styles of guys.”
Zack Wheeler generated swings and misses with all of his signature pitches against the Reds.Carolyn Kaster
Wheeler did not walk a batter. The solo homer he gave up to Eugenio Suárez to lead off the seventh was just the fourth hit and baserunner Wheeler had allowed all night. But he capped the inning — and his outing — by getting Tyler Stephenson to chase a splitter for his 14th strikeout.
“Definitely had some extra focus today. Looked really good in the bullpen,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “From start to finish, that was about as good as I’ve seen him.”
The Phillies’ offense provided all the cushion Wheeler needed against Reds lefty Andrew Abbott. In the third inning, Derek Hill started things off with a double, advanced to third on a single from Justin Crawford, and scored on an RBI groundout from Trea Turner.
Abbott then served up a 3-0 fastball over the middle of the plate to Schwarber.
The Ohio native doesn’t often swing in 3-0 counts. In fact, across the first 28 times Schwarber has gotten ahead 3-0 this season, he swung just once, which resulted in a foul tip. Three times, he was intentionally walked. The other 24 times, Schwarber took the 3-0 pitch.
But this time, Schwarber delivered a 408-foot home run to right field, his 31st of the season and 11th against a left-hander.
“I’m not very good at swinging 3-0, I don’t think my numbers are great at all. It’s just kind of always been a little thing for some reason,” Schwarber said. “Not many successful things happen for me there, which is a weird thing, but it just kind of was the spot, the situation.”
The Phillies tacked on another run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly from Edmundo Sosa.
After taking over for Wheeler, Orion Kerkering got into some trouble in the bottom of the frame, issuing back-to-back walks to bring the tying run to the plate. He nearly got out of it, inducing a ground ball to Alec Bohm for a potential inning-ending double play, but Elly De La Cruz was ruled safe at second while Sal Stewart was called out at first.
The Phillies challenged the safe call on De La Cruz, believing that he abandoned the base path by continuing toward the outfield rather than turning to third base immediately after the play. After a lengthy review, the call was upheld. Crew chief Alfonso Marquez told a pool reporter that abandoning of the base path is not challengeable, according to league rules.
Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson (right) was ejected by crew chief Alfonso Márquez (center) after their failed challenge of Elly De La Cruz abandoning the base path on a ground ball in the eighth inning.Carolyn Kaster
“In our minds, De La Cruz did not turn left toward third at all,” Mattingly said. “I asked for a rules check from that standpoint, to make sure they knew the rule. Because that’s what they explained to us, showed us video in spring training that you cannot continue running.”
Pitching coach Caleb Cotham and infield coach Bobby Dickerson were ejected after the ruling.
Following the delay, JJ Bleday battled Kerkering for a nine-pitch walk to load the bases and Mattingly brought in Jonathan Bowlan for Suárez. Bowlan made the disagreement moot by striking out Suárez with a slider in the dirt, stranding all three runners.
Jhoan Duran sidestepped a soft infield single to strike out the side in the ninth, picking up his 22nd save of the season.
In doing so, he also ensured that Wheeler earned his ninth win.
“I’m sure there’s a little bit of [an] extra thing in the back of his head where he wanted to go out there and have a really good night, and he did it,” Schwarber said. “And I’m happy that he’s on our side.”
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Thursday that he hasn’t spoken to Zack Wheeler about his postgame comments from the night before.
But he also isn’t bothered that Wheeler was upset. Wheeler was direct about his frustration at being removed from his start against the Pirates on Wednesday after 4⅔ innings with an 8-3 lead, leaving two runners on base for Kyle Backhus. The righty was at 104 pitches on a hot day, matching a season high, but said he felt he had earned the chance to finish the fifth inning.
Since he departed with two outs in the fifth, he was ineligible to get credit for what ultimately was a 10-6 win.
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me yet. Maybe he’ll settle down, and we’ll talk a bit later,” Mattingly said pregame Thursday. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet. I mean, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset. I think the great ones never want to come out of the game, and he’s no different.”
Mattingly compared managing Wheeler to managing the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who he said similarly never wanted to be taken out. In this situation, his justification for removing Wheeler in that moment was to protect the rotation as a whole.
Zack Wheeler gave up four runs against the Pirates and was pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth inning on Wednesday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“Our rotation is obviously a great rotation, but the depth of it is not filled with four Paul Skenes down in the minor leagues ready to pop in and fill the spot,” Mattingly said. “So my job is to make sure that this guy stays available through the course of the season, and we’ve got a long way to go. So I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”
Mattingly was concerned that the next batter, Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum, would work a long at-bat, driving up Wheeler’s pitch count even further. Pittsburgh had already fouled off 20 of Wheeler’s pitches on Wednesday.
Backhus took over and hit Magnum with a pitch. He also hit the next batter to force in a run charged to Wheeler.
Mattingly said the fact that Wheeler was one out away from becoming eligible for his ninth win of the season did not factor into his decision. Wheeler, whose ERA crept up to 2.36 after Wednesday’s start, has been forthright about his ambition to win a Cy Young Award.
“I think more about the situation that we’re in as a club. I think it probably helps that nowadays wins aren’t really a big thing anymore,” Mattingly said. “It used to be that you’d let that guy try to finish it. And in a different time, you may be letting the guy throw 130 [pitches], but that’s not the time we’re in. That’s not the situation that we’re in right now.”
Phillies manager Don Mattingly said of Zack Wheeler: “I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.” Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Mattingly added that he doesn’t expect this frustration to linger. When things cool off, he wants to discuss the move with Wheeler, but it also won’t change how he manages.
“I want to know his feelings on it, and all that stuff, but I’m still making the decision based on the club and the team and moving forward, where we want to go,” Mattingly said. “So I don’t mind him hearing my side of it. I don’t mind hearing his side of it, and, again, just have to deal with being mad about it or doesn’t like it. I understand it, but I still have to do what I have to do.”
Extra bases
Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Friday with triple-A Lehigh Valley in Rochester, N.Y. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 3.88 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Zack Wheeler was hot, and not just because of the heat.
Wheeler labored through 4⅔ innings Wednesday night in a 10-6 Phillies victory over the Pirates, and upon being lifted after 104 pitches, he walked off mound as if he didn’t hear the crowd’s obligatory ovation.
It was Wheeler’s shortest start since June 16, 2024 at Baltimore and snapped a streak of 53 starts in which he completed at least five innings.
Did the Phillies’ co-ace — the highest-paid pitcher in baseball this season with a $42 million salary — want interim manager Don Mattingly to give him a chance to get through the fifth again?
“Obviously,” Wheeler said. “I feel like I’ve earned that.”
Wheeler said he hadn’t talked it over yet with Mattingly. Asked if he planned to, he said, “I don’t know.”
Informed by a team spokesperson of Wheeler’s comments, Mattingly, who has steered the Phillies to a 40-19 record since taking over for fired Rob Thomson, deferred a response until Thursday. It’s the first real test of his leadership.
Zack Wheeler was not happy with being taken out of the game before the end of the 5th tonight. pic.twitter.com/64kUsHmZQo
By not finishing the fifth inning, Wheeler was ineligible to get credit for the win. At the discretion of the official scorer, the win went to reliever Orion Kerkering, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
To be fair, Wheeler had chances to get out of the fifth inning. After getting two quick outs, he gave up back-to-back singles to Esmerlyn Valdez and Ryan O’Hearn. With Wheeler’s pitch count up to 101 and action in the bullpen, pitching coach Caleb Cotham — not Mattingly — made a mound visit.
Wheeler stayed in the game, and three pitches later, gave up a bloop RBI single to Nick Gonzales. At that point, having matched his season-high for pitches in a start and pitching in oppressive heat (96 degrees at first pitch), Wheeler was lifted.
Lefty reliever Kyle Backhus hit back-to-back batters to force in a run that was charged to Wheeler, whose final line was four runs, nine hits, one walk, and 10 strikeouts. His ERA inched up from 2.03 to 2.36.
“I thought Wheels hung in there,” Mattingly said. “It was one of those nights that his pitch count got extended early, and he didn’t get ahead in the count as much as I’m sure he would like. He gave up some soft contact for hits that just extended his pitch count. It was one of those nights.”
Wheeler, 36, has made a wildly successful return after surgery last September in which a rib was removed to relieve a compressed vein near his collarbone. Earlier Wednesday, before a matchup with Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Mattingly suggested Wheeler might actually be underrated for a two-time Cy Young Award runner-up.
“I don’t think people quite realize how good this guy is,” Mattingly said. “I just don’t think they realize. Within the industry, for sure. But with fans, he’s a quiet guy. There’s not a lot of hype around him. He just kind of just constantly pitches well. And I just want to keep his attention talked about like other guys.”
When you’re a two-time batting champion in the midst of a three-month slump, everyone looks for the littlest hint of a breakout. A line drive here, a home run there, anything to forecast the inevitable hot streak.
“When [reporters] ask me if I’m back, I’m like, ‘I don’t know,’” the Phillies’ star shortstop said recently. “Like, I’ve got to do it for three, four days. You could have a good game here or there, but it’s about consistency.”
OK, then. How about two weeks’ worth of good games? Or three consecutive games with a homer? Or turning on a sweeper from Paul Skenes and hitting it into the left-field seats Wednesday night to power a 10-6 pounding of the Pirates, the Phillies’ seventh win in nine games?
“I feel like the last three or four weeks have been pretty solid,” Turner said. “I know how good I am. I know how good I can be, focusing on the last three weeks and getting back to two-strike hitting and scoring runs. I feel like I’ve scored runs at a really good clip because the guys behind me are playing so well.
“But that’s my job, to score runs, so I feel like the last few weeks have been really good.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly seems amused by the topic. After Turner doubled, homered, and drove in three runs on his 33rd birthday Tuesday night, Mattingly answered a question with two playful questions: “Is he coming back? Is he going yet?”
Phillies co-ace Zack Wheeler gave up four runs in only 4⅔ innings Wednesday night.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
But it’s clear Turner has rediscovered … something. He said he has been pleased with his two-strike approach. He’s making better adjustments within a game. After popping up in his first at-bat against Skenes, he ditched his leg kick before the home run.
Most importantly, Mattingly noted that Turner isn’t swinging at as many pitches out of the strike zone.
“He’s always going to chase a little bit,” Mattingly said. “But when it’s not in the other batter’s box, you know he’s starting to see the ball and take some closer pitches, foul some balls off, and get to balls.”
Add it up, and since June 17, when he was reinstalled in the leadoff spot, Turner is 21-for-60 to hike his average from .216 to .239 and his OPS from .595 to .655.
It’s still not the production that Turner is accustomed to, but hey, it’s a start.
“I feel like [the numbers] are not going to look good probably no matter what I do for a while,” he said. “Just try to focus on some good progress and then keep rolling with it and see where they end up at the end of the year.”
Turner’s revival is happening at a perfect time. Not only are the Phillies (49-38) closing fast on the division-leading Braves, going from 9½ games out on June 7 to only 2½, but the trade deadline is looming on Aug. 3.
The Phillies entered play Wednesday with the lowest OPS in baseball from their right-handed hitters (.607). But as much as they needed another bat from the right side, they’re unlikely to be able to acquire one as good as Turner.
In case any of the 41,766 paying customers forgot after Turner finished fifth in the NL MVP race last season, his tone-setting ability was on display again in the worst start of Skenes’ career.
A presupposed pitchers’ duel between Skenes and Zack Wheeler turned into a dud. The Phillies thumped Skenes for eight runs (seven earned) in four innings; Wheeler gave up four runs and wasn’t happy to be lifted with two out in the fifth inning after 104 pitches, snapping his streak of 53 starts of at least five innings dating back to June 2024.
“I feel like I’ve earned that,” Wheeler said.
Neither ace exhibited his usual command. And Skenes was hurt by the Pirates’ defense. With the bases loaded in the second inning, Justin Crawford chopped a ball to third baseman Nick Gonzales, whose throw to the plate hit Alec Bohm and rolled away, enabling two runs to score.
Up stepped Turner, who got a sweeper on the inner half of the plate and pulled it out to left field for a three-run homer.
Skenes hadn’t allowed more than five runs in any of his previous 72 major league starts. The Phillies hung a five-spot on him in the second inning. Brandon Marsh tacked on a leadoff homer in the third before Bryce Harper’s two-run double in the fourth opened an 8-2 lead.
It wasn’t the first time the Phillies conquered Skenes. They clipped him for five runs May 17 in Pittsburgh. He has allowed 39 earned runs all season; 12 have come against the Phillies.
“Our club’s not really afraid of anybody,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t matter who the guy is. We’ve got guys who’ve had success in their career, and you’re not shying away from guys like this.”
Turner added: “I think we’ve got a good team.”
The Phillies are on a 109-win pace under Mattingly (40-19) after a 9-19 start that prompted a managerial change.
And now they’ve got Turner playing like Turner again.
“Somebody asked me earlier, when do I feel like Trea’s going good,” Mattingly said. “Once a guy gets rolling, I mean, you know it’s there and he finds the field. … Trea’s been going for a while now.”
NEW YORK — Jacob Misiorowski has The Heater (105.5 mph!), and Cristopher Sánchez had The Streak (50⅔ scoreless innings!), and Shohei Ohtani is, well, Shohei Ohtani!
But at the midpoint of the schedule, there’s another nominee for the best pitching story in baseball: The Comeback, by Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler gave up one run in seven innings here Friday night against the Mets. And although he got a major assist from center fielder Derek Hill, it still marked the eighth time in his last nine starts that he allowed less than three runs.
It’s almost like the 36-year-old righty didn’t have a rib removed nine months ago to relieve a compressed vein near his collarbone.
“Yeah,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “it’s been pretty remarkable.”
Never mind that Wheeler had the less threatening form of thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s a condition that has derailed many pitching careers. Yet here he is, with a 2.03 ERA that ranks fifth among 100 pitchers with at least 70 innings entering play Saturday.
If you didn’t know what Wheeler went through last summer, beginning with the discovery of a blood clot near his right shoulder after an Aug. 15 start, well, you wouldn’t know.
His average fastball velocity is down a tick to 95.3 mph, but he can still dial up 97. (He scraped 97.7 mph Friday night against Mets star Juan Soto.) And he still changes speeds with a sweeper, splitter, and curveball.
Wheeler won’t admit that he’s surprised by any of this. Then again, he couldn’t allow himself to expect anything less.
“I mean, you almost have to, right?” he said. “You’ve got to have that mindset when you get hurt and you’re going to have surgery. You just build out your plan in your head — what it’s going to be like, and where you want to be at the end — and you kind of just tick those boxes off as you go.
“You’re always going to have your ups and downs. That’s going to happen with the human body. It doesn’t always go your way. But for the most part it went pretty smooth, and, yeah, I always envisioned myself coming back and hitting the ground running.”
Even as he was coming back from surgery and regaining strength after losing “a good bit” of weight, Wheeler said he set the same three goals: “win the Cy Young, win the World Series, and make the All-Star Game.” He could check off the latter next Saturday when the All-Star rosters are announced.
Wheeler was named to the National League team last year and in 2023 but didn’t attend the game either time. This year, with Philadelphia hosting the game, he won’t have to travel. But if the Phillies stay on rotation, he would start the final game before the break, leaving him unavailable to pitch in the All-Star Game.
In any case, Wheeler has never had a lower ERA through his first 12 starts of a season. Even in his runner-up Cy Young finishes in 2021 and 2024, his ERA through 12 starts was 2.51 and 2.32, respectively.
Zack Wheeler is making a strong case to be an All-Star for the third time in the last four years.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
And yet, ever the perfectionist, Wheeler insists his command isn’t as sharp as it can be.
“Something’s still a tick off, and I hate saying that just because it was a good game,” Wheeler said. “But I’m so used to throwing eight or nine pitches out of 10 where I exactly want it. So, when that’s not happening, I feel like it’s just not there all the way.
“But I know things are going well. I’m feeling strong, so I’ll take that for sure.”
One day after grounding into three double plays, as part of a 1-for-19 funk, third baseman Alec Bohm wasn’t in the lineup Saturday against Mets righty Christian Scott.
“He just looked tired last night,” Mattingly said of Bohm. “I thought he was dragging a little bit. It’s just a day.”
Edmundo Sosa started in Bohm’s place.
Extra bases
Reliever Brad Keller (right forearm inflammation) has progressed to throwing a bullpen session within the next few days, Mattingly said. … Andrew Painter is slated to start Sunday for the first time since getting demoted to triple A on June 17. … Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.39 ERA) will start the series finale at 1:40 p.m. Sunday and Mets lefty opener Cionel Pérez (3-3, 4.99).
Anecdotally, it’s hard to believe there’s a better tandem. Sánchez and Wheeler have started back-to-back for seven turns through the rotation, five times against the same team. Here’s how it’s gone:
Sánchez, May 5 vs. A’s: 8 innings, 0 runs
Wheeler, May 6 vs. A’s: 6⅓ innings, 3 runs
Sánchez, May 10 vs. Rockies: 7 innings, 0 runs
Wheeler, May 12 at Red Sox: 7⅓ innings, 1 run
Sánchez, May 16 at Pirates: 9 innings, 0 runs
Wheeler, May 17 at Pirates: 7 innings, 0 runs
Sánchez, May 22 vs. Guardians: 8 innings, 0 runs
Wheeler, May 23 vs. Guardians: 6 innings, 0 runs
Sánchez, May 27 at Padres: 7 innings, 0 runs
Wheeler, May 29 at Dodgers: 6 innings, 4 runs
Sánchez, June 3 vs. Padres: 7 innings, 1 run
Wheeler, June 4 vs. Padres: 7 innings, 2 runs
Sánchez, June 8 at Blue Jays: 7 innings, 2 runs
Wheeler, June 9 at Blue Jays: 6 innings, 1 run
That’s a 0.51 ERA in 53 innings for Sánchez, last year’s Cy Young Award runner-up in the National League. The 29-year-old recently went 50⅔ innings without giving up a run, the longest streak by a lefty and fifth-longest overall since at least 1893.
Cristopher Sánchez recently went 50⅔ innings without allowing a run, the longest streak by any left-handed pitcher since at least 1893.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
And it’s a 2.17 mark in 45⅔ innings for Wheeler, a two-time Cy Young runner-up. You wouldn’t know that he turned 36 two weeks ago — or had a rib removed nine months ago to relieve a compressed vein.
Philly hasn’t seen a better one-two punch since the trio of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels in 2011, maybe since Rocky’s left jab and right cross.
Sánchez leads all pitchers in wins above replacement (5.1, as calculated by Baseball-Reference) and innings (93⅓), and ranks second in strikeouts (113), and third in ERA (1.54). Wheeler is tied for sixth in WAR (2.7) and has a 2.22 ERA in nine starts.
“I love Wheeler, and I think Sánchez is above Wheeler now,” said a talent evaluator from a National League team. “That’s how good I think Sánchez is.”
“It’s relentless,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said last month after Sánchez’s six-hit shutout preceded seven scoreless innings from Wheeler. “Whenever you get to that level and you’re facing those types of guys, those are the types of arms you’re going to see in October.”
After Sánchez blanked the Guardians for eight innings on May 22, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt called him “special.” A day later, the Guardians were muted for six innings by Wheeler, whom Vogt called “one of the best righties in the game.”
Put them together, and well, it’s a two-headed monster that gives the Phillies an edge over almost any team in a short series.
But there are others. An informal survey of scouts this week produced other dynamic-duo nominees. Among them:
Zack Wheeler has a 2.22 ERA in nine starts after returning from thoracic outlet syndrome.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison, Brewers: When it comes to velocity, nobody beats The Miz. The 24-year-old righty’s fastball averages — repeat: averages — 100 mph. Harrison is a revelation, though one NL evaluator was skeptical of the 24-year-old lefty, who has been traded twice (Giants to Red Sox to Brewers) since last June 15. Misiorowski and Harrison will take 1.50 and 2.72 ERAs into starts Friday and Sunday, respectively, against the Phillies in Milwaukee.
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers: Imagine if the Phillies convinced Yamamoto to take their $300 million-plus offer in December 2023? After his iconic postseason last year, he has a 2.68 ERA through 12 starts. Ohtani seems determined to add a Cy Young Award to his MVP collection (four, and almost certainly counting). He allowed five runs through his first 10 starts and has a 1.06 ERA overall. One rival NL scout dinged the Dodgers’ duo, dominant as it is, due to the unique usage of Ohtani, who rarely starts on less than six days’ rest.
Cam Schlittler and Gerrit Cole, Yankees: Every team wishes it could clone its Cy Young-winning ace. The Yankees seem to have done it. Schlittler (1.87 ERA through 14 starts) resembles Cole not only in terms of physical appearance but also stuff, notably a big fastball and hard cutter. Two scouts — one in each league — put the Yankees’ 25- and 35-year-old righties slightly ahead of Sánchez and Wheeler. But one NL scout cautioned that, like Wheeler, Cole is coming back from surgery. So far, though, four starts into his return from Tommy John elbow surgery, he has a 2.45 ERA that has him looking like vintage Cole.
Another NL scout cited the emergence of righty Braxton Ashcraft (3.28 ERA through 13 starts) as a sidekick to Paul Skenes (2.84 in 14 starts) to give the Pirates a formidable tandem. The AL scout pointed to Blue Jays right-handers Dylan Cease (2.91 ERA in 12 starts) and Kevin Gausman (3.60 in 14 starts).
Off the top of his head, Harper submitted Braves lefty Chris Sale and, when healthy, hard-throwing Spencer Schwellenbach. But the latter had surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his right elbow and isn’t expected to pitch until late in the season.
In any case, the Phillies believe Sánchez and Wheeler don’t take a back seat to anyone. They’re 10-4 in Sánchez’s starts (including a 1-0 loss to the Guardians on May 22), 7-2 in Wheeler’s, and 20-25 in all other games.
Unlike the Dodgers’ and Yankees’ co-aces, Sánchez and Wheeler give the Phillies a lefty-righty balance. They present stylistic contrasts, too, and come from vastly different backgrounds.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who will face the Phillies on Friday night, is half of Milwaukee’s formidable top-of-the-rotation tandem.Jeffrey Phelps
Sánchez, acquired from the Rays in a minor trade after the 2019 season, represents a victory for the Phillies’ scouting, analytics, and mostly player-development departments. Specifically, pitching coach Caleb Cotham credits César Ramos, who worked with Sánchez in triple A before becoming the major league bullpen coach.
In three years, Sánchez harnessed his command, honed his changeup, and went from a last-resort fifth starter in 2023 to the best lefty in the NL — and maybe in the entire sport.
Since the beginning of the 2024 season, Sánchez has a 2.62 ERA and leads all pitchers with 16.9 WAR, as calculated by Baseball-Reference.
“It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of, from where he started to where he is now,” Cotham said this week on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “The attention to detail and the small things, tightening the delivery, we can go on and on. They turned into huge things for him.
“You watch a ’23 video, ’22, even some ’24 video, it still kind of smacks me in the face, where it’s like, wow. I know the delivery is tighter, it’s cleaner. But he’s a big dude. There was arms and hands and feet going everywhere. It’s still kind of jarring watching even ’24 video with how much better and consistent and compact his delivery is compared to then. It’s just gotten better and better each year.
“That’s probably the biggest piece for me with Cris. The physicality got to a point to allow the delivery to get to where you’re no longer wondering where this ball’s going to go.”
Cristopher Sánchez has a 2.62 ERA since the start of the 2024 season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Wheeler has evolved, too. He still leans on his fastball, although it’s a few ticks slower after his surgery. But he added a sweeper and splitter over the last few years, and in any given start, one or the other, or maybe his curveball, might be his best off-speed pitch.
“The splitter’s arguably as good as it’s ever been, movement-wise,” Cotham said. “The sweeper’s been very good. He’s thrown the last couple of starts some of the better curveballs he’s thrown. The cutter was a pitch he didn’t quite have early in the year. It’s gotten better lately.”
Oh, and for hitters, here’s the scary part.
“I still think,” Cotham said, “there’s another level for him.”
Said interim manager Don Mattingly: “It’s always good to have Wheels out there. We talk about Sánchy being an ace. But it’s hard to have a true ace if you’re not saying Wheeler is the guy. It’s good to have these guys back-to-back.”
Regardless of where Sánchez and Wheeler stack up, few teams have anything like them.
“It’s tough coming into a ballpark and knowing that you’re going to face those two guys in a series,” Harper said. “So, yeah, I really don’t know if there’s a better one-two punch in the game right now.”
