Kyle Schwarber doesn’t hold back often. But when he does, it usually means something is bugging him. And Tuesday night, something was definitely bugging him.
His teammate, Zack Wheeler, just threw one of the best games of his career — 14 strikeouts, zero walks, one run over seven innings — and still didn’t make the All-Star team. So Schwarber said what everyone in the Phillies clubhouse was probably thinking.
“When someone is putting up the numbers and deserves it, you want them to just get that nod.”
That quote came after Philly beat the Reds 4-1. But the win almost felt secondary. The real story was Wheeler’s case for being one of the biggest All-Star snubs in recent memory.
Wheeler’s night was historic
Let’s put this in perspective. Wheeler became only the sixth pitcher in Phillies history to strike out at least 14 batters without issuing a walk. That’s a short list. He also lowered his ERA to 2.74 and ran his record to 9-1. Those aren’t just good numbers. Those are Cy Young conversation numbers.
But somehow, when the National League All-Star roster was announced, Wheeler wasn’t on it. The Phillies got multiple guys in, sure. But their ace? Left out. On a technicality, basically — the league’s dumb tiebreaker rules or whatever logic they used to pick other arms over him.
Fans online noticed. NBC Sports Philadelphia caught Schwarber’s reaction and put it on X (formerly Twitter). It spread fast because it captured how absurd the omission felt.
Schwarber did his part too
By the way, Schwarber also hit his MLB-leading 31st home run Tuesday. That gave Wheeler early breathing room, which is pretty generous considering the slugger had every right to be pissed about the All-Star thing for his teammate.
Wheeler’s case is frustrating because it’s not even close. Among NL pitchers, he ranks near the top in basically every meaningful category: strikeouts, WHIP, opponent batting average, innings pitched. And yet someone in a league office decided he didn’t deserve a spot. That’s not just a snub. That’s just weird.
The Phillies are now 51-41, sitting two games behind Atlanta in the NL East. Every game matters. And having Wheeler on the mound — even without an All-Star tag — makes them dangerous down the stretch.
Maybe the All-Star thing will motivate him. Maybe it’ll motivate the whole team. Either way, it’s hard to argue with Schwarber. The dude deserved the nod.
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