Zack Wheeler made a statement on the mound Tuesday night. Seven innings, one run, 14 strikeouts, and a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. But the Philadelphia Phillies ace was pitching with something extra on his mind: the MLB All-Star Game, and a rule he thinks is flat-out stupid.
Wheeler was left off the initial All-Star roster, widely considered one of the bigger snubs this year. And thanks to a longstanding league rule, he won’t be added as a replacement either. The reason? He’s scheduled to pitch the Sunday before Tuesday’s All-Star Game, which makes him ineligible to throw in the actual game. Wheeler didn’t hold back when asked about it after Tuesday’s win.
“I felt like that’s kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” he said, via Foul Territory. “It pisses me off, it’s kind of BS. Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it. Just because I pitch on a certain day doesn’t mean that I get… I don’t even know the right word. Just because I pitch on a certain day I can’t pitch in the All-Star game or even be there or get the recognition for it.”
Wheeler has a point. His ERA sits at 2.28 this season, and he’s been one of the best pitchers in the National League. But the rule doesn’t just hit him. Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski and Pirates phenom Paul Skenes are also scheduled to pitch Sunday and won’t throw in the All-Star Game either. Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch for the Dodgers in the game, but that’s more about caution with his two-way workload. He’ll still hit.
So MLB is essentially benching three of its most exciting young arms for an exhibition game. Misiorowski and Skenes are drawing massive attention this season. Having them on the mound in the All-Star Game would be a showcase for the league. Instead, replacements have already been named. Wheeler wasn’t even eligible to be considered, since he’s on that Sunday schedule too.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale called the situation a potential “huge viewership blow” on social media. He posted on X that losing Misiorowski, Skenes, and Ohtani as pitchers hurts the game’s appeal. Ohtani will at least take a couple at-bats as the designated hitter before Kyle Schwarber steps in. But the others are out entirely.
Wheeler suggested the league could have handled it differently. “They could have done it a few different ways, maybe put me in, I didn’t necessarily have to get chosen right away, I feel like I was right there. So, maybe they put me in, shoot me right back out and put somebody else in. There’s certain ways to do it. You figure they would have a clue about it by now with how many All-Star games they’ve had. I think it’s kind of just a BS rule that just because I pitch on a certain day I get punished for it I guess.”
Is there an easy fix? Moving the game from Tuesday to Wednesday would give Sunday starters an extra day of rest. That’s a structural shift, but it’s not impossible. The league has kept the Home Run Derby on Monday and the game on Tuesday for years. Changing that schedule would be a logistical headache, but not a crazy one.
Fans online have pointed out that MLB doesn’t need to protect pitchers like it’s October. It’s one inning in a midsummer exhibition. Let the stars show out. Wheeler, Skenes, and Misiorowski are guys people want to see. Keeping them off the mound because of a Sunday start feels like an own goal.
The league has a choice here. It can stick with a rule that benches its most popular pitchers or it can adapt. Growing the game means putting the best players on the field. Wheeler made that clear without mincing words.
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