The Phillies gave the ball to Zack Wheeler on Tuesday night, and he made sure everyone remembered what they left off the All-Star roster.
Wheeler carved up the Reds for seven innings, punching out 14 batters in a 4-1 win. That tied his career high for strikeouts in a game. It was the kind of start that makes you wonder how the National League skipped over him.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan watched it happen and posted on X: “Looks like an All-Star to me.” The clip attached showed Wheeler making hitters look helpless.
Wheeler’s numbers are hard to argue with. He’s now 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA and 84 strikeouts. And he didn’t even make his season debut until April 25 because he was recovering from thoracic outlet surgery last September. In that first start, he threw five innings against the Braves and snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Phillies.
His agent, BB Abbott, called the All-Star snub “tone deaf.” That got attention. So did Wheeler’s response on the mound.
The Phillies already have five guys going to the All-Star Game: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Cristopher Sánchez, and Jhoan Duran. That makes it harder to squeeze another arm onto the roster. Also, Wheeler has only pitched 80 innings this season, which is low compared to other starters. The selection committee apparently factored that in.
A season delayed but not derailed
Missing the first few weeks of the season hurt Wheeler’s case. But since returning, he’s been exactly what the Phillies needed. Tuesday night was his best outing yet. He struck out at least two batters in every inning except the sixth, and he didn’t walk anyone after the third.
Last year Wheeler made the All-Star team in Atlanta but chose to skip it to rest up for the second half. This year the league made the choice for him, and he’s pitching like he has something to prove.
The Phillies are 51-41, sitting second in the NL East. Wheeler is a big reason they’re in that spot. And if he keeps dealing like this, the All-Star snub will just be a footnote in a season where he might end up being the most dangerous starter in the National League anyway.
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