Zack Wheeler’s season has been impossible to ignore, even if the National League’s All-Star selection process somehow managed to do just that.
The Phillies right-hander came out of the All-Star break with a 2.13 ERA, a 10-1 record and a 0.892 WHIP, the best mark of his 12-year career. That kind of production would usually make a pitcher one of the first names on the roster. Instead, Wheeler was left off the NL’s initial All-Star team, later offered a replacement spot and declined it, calling it a “pity party.”
MLB.com gave him a little more respect in its latest starting pitcher power rankings, slotting Wheeler at No. 2 behind only Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers. Andrew Simon pointed to how quickly Wheeler has settled in after a delayed start to his year following thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
“His season got off to a late start as he recovered from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, but Wheeler has looked as good as ever since returning, even at age 36,” wrote Andrew Simon. “He has a 2.13 ERA in 15 starts, and the resurgent Phillies have gone 13-2 in those games, including six wins in a row. In July, Wheeler has struck out 34 batters and walked three in 17 2/3 innings, and he finished his first half with an absolute gem on Sunday at Detroit.”
Wheeler turned 36 on May 30, but the results have looked more like a pitcher in his prime than one working through a comeback. Since the All-Star snub, he has made two starts and been every bit as sharp as before. Against the Cincinnati Reds on July 7, he gave up one run and struck out 14 over seven innings in a 4-1 Phillies win.
Five days later in Detroit, he was even more efficient. Wheeler worked six innings, allowed just two hits and struck out 10 as Philadelphia shut out the Tigers 5-0. That gave him three straight outings with double-digit strikeouts.
His dominance has helped fuel a major turnaround in Philadelphia. The Phillies stumbled to a 9-19 start, a stretch that led to Rob Thomson losing his job. Since Don Mattingly took over, the club has gone 54-43 and sits just two games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
Philadelphia still could use another top-end starter and some help in the bullpen, but the way this team has played lately has changed the conversation. There’s growing chatter that the Phillies may be the National League club best positioned to knock off the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in October.
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Phillies May Be Eyeing A Risky Rotation Answer Fans Know Too Well
The Phillies search for rotation help has become hard to ignore, with Aaron Nolas uneven season and Andrew Painters growing pains leaving the staff thinner than it needs to be. Even with the season moving along, the club still has to weigh whether a veteran stopgap might make more sense than continuing to lean on shaky internal options, especially if the goal is simply to stabilize the back end of the rotation.
One name that fits that kind of gamble is Aaron Civale, a pitcher whose career has been defined by stretches of usefulness interrupted by plenty of volatility. His recent run with the Athletics has not been especially clean, but for a Phillies team trying to patch together innings, the appeal is obvious: he is not the kind of addition that solves everything, yet he could still represent an upgrade over what Philadelphia is running out there now. [Read more 🡒]
Braves And Phillies Linked To Same Deadline Arm In Major NL East Twist
With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies find themselves in the same conversation as a familiar rival, with both clubs sitting near the top of the National League and eyeing a push into October. The buzz around the market has centered on one of the most coveted arms available, a pitcher viewed as the premium prize for contenders looking to fortify a rotation without waiting for the winter.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious: a move like that would signal an all-in posture in a season built around chasing a title. The Braves are in the same lane, which only adds another layer to an already tense NL East race, and the possibility of other heavyweight clubs getting involved could make the bidding far more complicated before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Trade Buzz Just Put One Elite Bullpen Arm In Focus
Brad Kellers torn UCL has only sharpened the Phillies bullpen concerns, and the timing is awkward for a club trying to stay in the thick of the NL East race. Philadelphia has been searching for ways to stabilize the late innings, and the need is bigger than just replacing one arm. The relief group could use another dependable left-hander as well, since the current options have not given the staff the kind of production it needs.
That is why the latest trade chatter has drawn attention around the league, with one elite reliever suddenly emerging as a possible fit for a Phillies team looking to add impact rather than depth. The appeal goes beyond a short-term fix, too, because the right target would bring more than a few months of help and could shape the bullpen picture well beyond this season. For a front office trying to thread the needle between urgency and long-term value, the next move in the relief market may end up saying plenty about how aggressive Philadelphia plans to be. [Read more 🡒]