<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-tabbed-top-mlb-pitcher-by-far-by-padres-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zach-Wheeler-with-Philadelphia-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T11:24:57-07:00">April 3rd, 11:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T11:25:20-07:00">April 3rd, 11:25am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies ace Zach Wheeler placed ninth on the recent ESPN Top 100 and second among starting pitchers. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/braves-news-chris-sale-wins-nl-cy-young-award-resurgent-season">finishing second in the National League Cy Young race last year</a>, it is an expected high ranking for Wheeler. But for one National League rival, it is not high enough. Padres third baseman Manny Machado <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44479703/mlb-rank-2025-top-100-ranking-audit-players-feedback-hits-misses" rel="noopener">says there should be</a> no pitchers ahead of the Phillies star.</p><p>“Zack is the No. 1 pitcher in the league right now, by far,” Machado said. The rankings disagree, with Paul Skenes ranked fifth as the highest non-Ohtani pitcher. The Dodgers’ two-way star is, of course, ranked first. Skenes’ ranking did cause some issues among players surveyed, even his own teammates.</p><p>“But you guys have Paul Skenes at [No. 5], but Paul Skenes doesn’t hit. That skews the list for me,” Andrew McCutchen said. “To me, that’s like ranking offensive and defensive [NFL] players on the same list. It doesn’t work.”</p><p>Wheeler lost to Chris Sale in the Cy Young race last year, who finished 32nd on the ESPN Top 100. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-with-special-reaction-to-al-cy-young-victory">AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal</a> came in tenth. Wheeler is the top-ranked Phillie on the list, with Bryce Harper coming next at number 11. Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Kyle Schwarber, and JT Realmuto are also on the list.</p><h2><b>The Phillies are riding their ace early</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zach-Wheeler-with-Philadelphia-Phillies-2.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Through two starts of his 2025 campaign, Zach Wheeler has thrown 13 innings and allowed only two runs. He picked up the win on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies after a no-decision on Opening Day. The Phillies won both games on their way to a 4-1 record to start the season.</p><p>The Phillies’ strength is their pitching rotation, with Wheeler, Nola, Sanchez, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins">new acquisition Jesus Luzardo</a> all making starts so far. While their offense is a collection of stars that can dominate a season, their pitching is what will get them deep in the playoffs this year.</p><p>Wheeler turned his dominance up a notch after joining the Phillies in 2020. His Mets tenure was riddled with injuries and some growing pains coming into the majors. But since joining Philly in free agency, he has been one of the top pitchers in the National League. He will turn 35 during the season, and this could be the crowning season of his career.</p><p>The Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a home series where Wheeler likely will not pitch. He is likely to start a game against the Atlanta Braves when they hit the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-predicted-paul-skenes-nl-cy-young');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler-predicted-to-edge-Paul-Skenes-for-NL-Cy-Young.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T10:37:36-07:00">March 24th, 10:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T10:37:36-07:00">March 24th, 10:37am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates both have high expectations coming into this season. For Philly, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-most-blame-embarrassing-nlds-loss-mets">won the National League East last year but lost to the rival Mets in the NLDS</a>. There is excitement around the Buccos because of their new star pitcher, Paul Skenes. In<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6222015/2025/03/24/mlb-predictions-2025-world-series/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener"> a preseason poll,</a> experts from The Athletic picked Philly’s Zack Wheeler to edge out Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes for the National League Cy Young.</p><p>“Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is the reliable option. He’s twice finished as Cy Young Award runner-up, and he’s gotten down-ballot Cy Young Award votes in two other seasons,” Chad Jennings wrote. “Fourteen of our voters think this is the year he finally wins it. Paul Skenes is the young sensation coming off a Rookie of the Year season in which he started the All-Star Game and finished third in Cy voting. A dozen voters think his ascent to the top of the league is inevitable.”</p><p>The remainder of the votes are split among four pitchers. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/diamondbacks-news-corbin-burnes-decision-diamondbacks-free-agency">Corbin Burnes from the Diamondbacks</a> got four votes, and the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow, Braves’ Spencer Strider, and defending champion Chris Sale each got one vote. What has to happen for this prediction to come true?</p><h2><b>Can Phillies’ Zack Wheeler overcome the Paul Skenes hype?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler-with-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last year, Skenes made his debut with the Pirates after just 12 minor league starts. With the hype of a number-one overall pick behind him, he put up one of the best pitching seasons in the National League. He edged out <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-beats-jackson-merrill-nl-rookie-of-the-year">Jackson Merrill and Jackson Churio for the NL Rookie of the Year</a> title.</p><p>Despite the Pirates’ lack of offensive additions this year, many expect Skenes to take a big step forward. The team may struggle because of their offense but their pitching should be great. But at 23 years old, Skenes could go through some growing pains as he faces teams for the first time.</p><p>That is where Wheeler comes in, as the Phillies ace has been consistently great for a half-decade. Since he joined the Phillies in 2020, he has finished second in Cy Young voting twice, including last year. He lost the 2021 title to Burnes and last year’s to Sale.</p><p>There will be a lot of conversation about Skenes this year. His stuff is electric, his relationship grabs headlines, and the team could capture the fan’s imaginations this year. The momentum points to the youngster but a career full of high finishes points to the Phillies and Wheeler.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-opening-day-aaron-nola-praise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Zach-Wheeler-Opening-Day-move-draws-high-Aaron-Nola-praise.jpg"></figure><h1>Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T22:19:16-07:00">March 17th, 10:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T22:36:52-07:00">March 17th, 10:36pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2025 season with high expectations. While the National League East will be a competitive division with the New York Mets acquiring Juan Soto and the Atlanta Braves getting Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back from injury, the Phillies believe they’re a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-dave-dombrowski-philadelphia-world-series">championship-caliber team</a>.</p><p>Philadelphia will <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-wheeler-named-2025-opening-day-starter-for-phillies" rel="noopener">begin the season</a> on the road against the Washington Nationals on March 27 and, unsurprisingly, the team will start Zack Wheeler on Opening Day, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.</p><p>“He’s a stud, man… His track record shows it. I’ll say it again, I think he’s the best in the league,” fellow starter Aaron Nola said of Wheeler.</p><p>Nola has been with the Phillies since 2015 and he made six straight Opening Day starts for the team from 2018-2023. But he passed the torch to Wheeler, who started his first season opener last year and will do so again in 2025.</p><h2><b>Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler earns his second career Opening Day start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wheeler is coming off an All-Star season in 2024. He finished second to Chris Sale in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-gets-real-zack-wheeler-vs-chris-sale-cy-young">close race for the NL Cy Young Award</a>. Wheeler went 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.955 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 200 innings. He finished the year with 6.1 bWAR.</p><p>Phillies manager Rob Thomson shares Nola’s view of the 10-year veteran. “He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball… It’s the combination of power and command – pitchability. That’s why he’s so great,” Thomson said after announcing Wheeler as Philadelphia’s Opening Day starter, via MLB.com.</p><p>In addition to his second-place Cy Young finish last season, Wheeler was also the runner-up in 2021, when he was edged out for the award by Corbin Burnes. Wheeler led all pitchers with 7.5 bWAR that season.</p><p>The Phillies boast a deep rotation in 2025. The team<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/jesus-luzardo-trade-grades-phillies-marlins"> landed Jesus Luzardo in a trade</a> with the Miami Marlins this offseason after an injury limited him to just 12 starts last year. And Philadelphia’s top prospect Andrew Painter is nearing his big league debut.</p><p>If that wasn’t enough, the Phillies are rumored to be interested in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/mlb-rumors-phillies-padres-scouting-dylan-cease-trade-buzz">trading for Dylan Cease</a>. Of course, they’re just one of at least eight teams with designs on the pitcher. And the Padres may decide not to trade him after all.</p><p>As it stands now, Wheeler is at the top of the Phillies’ rotation, followed by Luzardo, Nola, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-available-game-4');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler available in relief in Game 4 on three-days rest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10-09-24-wheeler-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler available in relief in Game 4 on three-days rest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-09T12:27:00-07:00">October 9th, 12:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-09T12:27:00-07:00">October 9th, 12:27pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Down 2-1, The Philadelphia Phillies need a win against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-jose-iglesias-message-fire-up-fans-game-4-phillies">New York Mets in Game 4 of the NLDS</a> on Wednesday to keep their postseason hopes alive. It is officially all hands on deck.</p><p>After the Game 3 loss on Tuesday, Phillies manager Rob Thomson clarified who was available out <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5830161/2024/10/08/phillies-playoffs-elimination-mets/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">of the bullpen</a> to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.</p><p>“Everyone is available.” Thomson said.</p><p>That includes Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. If Wheeler does end up appearing for the Phillies, he would do so on just three-days rest after throwing 111 pitches on Saturday in Game 1. In the Phillies’ 6-2 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-reality-check-zack-wheeler-gem">Game 1 loss, Wheeler pitched</a> seven shutout, one-hit innings while striking out nine.</p><p>Wheeler’s 111 pitches were the most a Phillies pitches has thrown in the postseason since Roy Halladay in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS.</p><p>It seems difficult to imagine a situation in which Thomson would have to go to Wheeler on such short rest after throwing so many pitches on Saturday. But, if the Phillies find themselves in a late-inning, high-leverage situation with a lead and a chance to force a Game 5, Thomson may call on his ace. Wheeler’s only career relief appearance came during last year’s postseason. In a similar situation, Wheeler pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks on two-days rest following a 99-pitch start.</p><p>If Wheeler does end up pitching, he almost certainly will not be available to start a potential Game 5 on Friday. That would likely force the Phillies to resort to a bullpen game. However, he once again could be used on short-rest out of the bullpen.</p><h2><b>Zack Wheeler’s 2024 season with the Philadelphia Phillies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10-09-24-wheeler-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Pitching in the 10th season of his MLB career, Wheeler once again put together another Cy Young-caliber campaign. In 32 starts in the regular season, Wheeler had a 16-7 record with a 2.57 ERA and a National League-leading 0.955 WHIP and was named an All-Star for the second time in his career.</p><p>While Wheeler likely will not win the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-bryce-harper-gets-real-zack-wheeler-vs-chris-sale-cy-young">Cy Young due to Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale’s</a> pitching Triple Crown performance, he once again showed that he is one of the absolute best pitchers in baseball.</p><p>In addition to his regular season dominance, Wheeler is one of the best postseason pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Saturday’s gem lowered his career postseason ERA to 2.18, the third-lowest in MLB history among pitchers with at least 10 starts. In a must-win Game 4, Wheeler may need to step up again for the Phillies.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler available in relief in Game 4 on three-days rest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-reality-check-zack-wheeler-gem');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nick Castellanos hits Phillies with reality check after Zack Wheeler gem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-hits-Philly-with-reality-check-after-Zack-Wheelers-gem-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Nick Castellanos hits Phillies with reality check after Zack Wheeler gem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-06T12:43:07-07:00">October 6th, 12:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T06:24:48-07:00">October 7th, 6:24am</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies entered Game 1 of the NLDS with high hopes at Citizens Bank Park, and everything looked great after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-kyle-schwarbers-intriguing-reaction-mets-starting-kodai-senga-nlds">Kyle Schwarber sent a solo dinger</a> into the right field stands in the bottom of the first inning. Despite a brilliant performance from starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, the Phillies were bested by the New York Mets 6-2.</p><p>Wheeler struck out nine batters and allowed just one hit through seven innings. The Phillies offense quickly fell into a slump after the Schwarber homerun, and chased pitches in the dirt for the next eight innings. Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos <a href="https://x.com/SNYtv/status/1842722732137431066" rel="noopener">voiced his emotions</a> following the loss, per SNY’s post on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“The way that he threw the ball, he deserves to have a win, for sure,” Castellanos said.</p><p>The Mets carried their hitting success from the Wild Card series into the NLDS, and they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-rob-thomson-gets-real-about-relievers-struggled-mets">made it clear to the Phillies bullpen</a>. In the eighth inning, the Mets offense erupted for five runs, which ultimately left the Phillies in the dust. Brandon Nimmo singled to knock in a run, then Pete Alonso sac flied to center field. Francisco Martinez and Starling Marte accounted for the final two runs of the inning to put the Mets up 5-1 going into the ninth.</p><h2><b>Phillies offense fail dazzling Zack Wheeler performance</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Zack-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Phillies proved on Saturday that it’s not always about how you start a game, it’s how you finish it. And it rang true in their Game 1 NLDS loss. The pressure is on.</p><p>The MLB postseason offers very little time to adjust and contemplate what went wrong in the previous game. The quick one-day turnaround will require the Phillies offense to be better prepared, and more aggressive at the plate. They will be up against Luis Severino, who the Mets deliberately saved for Game 2. Smart move against the NL East champions.</p><p>It’s a wake up call for the Phillies, and they are desperate to respond in a huge Sunday matchup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
42	3.86	13	1.21	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
42	3.86	13	1.21	0

Zack Wheeler

Latest Zack Wheeler News

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young

Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler available in relief in Game 4 on three-days rest

Nick Castellanos hits Phillies with reality check after Zack Wheeler gem

Zack
Wheeler