When Zack Wheeler stepped on the mound, he submerged into his own world. His tunnel vision had one clear goal: to prove everybody wrong. Locked in from the first pitch, Wheeler overwhelmed Cincinnati's lineup. Batter after batter walked back to the dugout frustrated, unable to solve his electric arsenal.
They couldn’t find a recipe for his throws.
Wheeler struck out 14 batters without giving up a single walk over seven dazzling innings. He tied his career high with a brilliant performance and moved his team closer to the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves as Philadelphia won 4-1.
“I felt like that’s a reminder,” said Wheeler, “for whoever needs to be reminded.”
Mugged of recognition
That game day, Wheeler took the mound with a chip on his shoulder. He was frustrated and let out his irritations in the best way possible – an incredible showdown that pushed the Phillies to another victory in enemy territory.
It wasn’t a banality that pissed the star pitcher off. On Saturday, Wheeler learned that he was an All-Star snub. The rosters were released, and Wheeler wasn’t included.
The ace was left out because of a technicality – his pitching schedule. Wheeler was scheduled to pitch on July 12th in the first-half finale against the Detroit Tigers, in which he tossed a six-inning shutout with 10 strikeouts, two hits, and two walks.
The All-Star Game takes place on Tuesday, July 14th.
“It pissed me off. It’s kind of BS. Just because I pitch on a certain day, I get — you know — I don’t even know the right word,” Wheeler said. “Because I pitch on a certain day, I can’t pitch in the All-Star Game or even be there or get the recognition.”
“Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there, I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it. There are 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,” said Wheeler.
Major League Baseball would actually extend an offer to Wheeler to play in the All-Star game after voicing his outrage, but Wheeler denied the request anyway.
"They disrespected me, so I'm just not going to participate in that thing," said Wheeler.
To make matters worse, the All-Star Game festivities are taking place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Even on Wheeler’s home field, he won’t be able to participate. Despite his busy schedule, the star said he would be willing to make himself eligible to pitch at least an inning.
“I feel fine the second and third days after a start, when I usually throw my bullpen,” Wheeler explained.
Rather than performances, it’s the pitching schedules that determine the Midsummer Classic availability.
“I trust Zack,” said pitching coach Caleb Cotham. “Zack knows his body. Obviously, there’s still that last start in Detroit, but within the realm of possibilities, I feel very confident he could do that. Obviously, you’d have to check some boxes and get out of the next start, right? But he’s a grown man. He knows his body. He knows what he’s capable of doing, right? Especially if he wants it, I’m not going to be the one to stand in his way.”
Stats don't lie
If it were solely about numbers, there would have been no chance that Wheeler would have been left out. This season, he boasts a 10-1 record with a 2.13 earned run average ERA and 0.89 WHIP – both would be career-bests. He has tallied 108 strikeouts in 93 innings.
The right-handed starter has been fantastic this year, pitching like an All-Star. Yet, he has not been named one.
The Phillies’ ace has been excellent and is playing the best baseball of his career, despite missing the first few weeks of the season because he was recovering from an injury. Watching him now, few would guess he spent months rehabbing after having surgery.
Last August, Wheeler was diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder and underwent a thoracic outlet surgery in September.
When the diagnosis became public, questions immediately surfaced about his future. Could he return to form? Would the injury affect him long-term? How should the Phillies manage one of the game's premier pitchers? Wheeler didn’t let the naysayers get into his head.
He did the only thing he knew how – came back better and proved everybody wrong.
“I had those expectations when I got hurt, I’m going to be the same guy, or even better,” Wheeler said. “I'm going to use this time to get a little bit stronger, maybe just tweak a couple things. Just come back stronger or better, and this is what I’ve been able to do. The credit goes to the coaching staff and the training staff and my family just for helping me get through that mentally and physically."
The Phillies kept their faith in him, and the 36-year-old star has been rewarding the franchise with stellar performances.
His ERA is the third-lowest he’s achieved through his first 15 games in a season. Should he have had just a few more innings under his belt at this point in the season, Wheeler's 2.13 ERA would rank third amongst all starting pitchers in baseball.
In-style comeback
Wheeler’s achievements and numbers are even more remarkable considering his medical history.
In March 2015, Wheeler was on the New York Mets when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The injury required Tommy John surgery and approximately a 16-month-long recovery period. But Wheeler ran into a series of setbacks on his return journey and ended up having another surgery to remove an undissolved stitch in his elbow.
Even after that, he kept experiencing discomfort in his arm and had another platelet-rich plasma injection to aid the healing process.
Originally expected to return in July 2016, Wheeler didn’t step onto a diamond until April 2017. And despite a shaky start, he eventually found his rhythm and became one of the most elite MLB starters. His perseverance, growth, and resilience have produced one of the sport's most impressive comeback stories.
Wheeler is coming off back-to-back seasons of being selected for the All-MLB Team, including a Cy Young runner-up in 2024.
His efforts earned him a spot in the Cy Young Award conversation. He could become just the sixth pitcher since 2010 to win a Cy Young Award despite not being selected to an All-Star team.
It would be the best payback Wheeler could deliver. However, Wheeler would have to put on clinic after clinic if he wants to catch up to the likes of Jacob Misiorowski, all while competing with his own teammate, Cristopher Sanchez, who is also having a phenomenal season.