In his second start of the 2025 season Zack Wheeler did what he has done game in game out for six years, he delivered a quality performance on the mound for his Phillies teammates. When the night was done he had his 60th win in a Philly uniform.
Not many remember that the Phillies gave the righthander big money at age thirty after a fair to decent fiive seasons with the Mets. His time there included Tommy John surgery. The injury cost him both his age twenty-five and twenty-six seasons
His time in New York: 126 starts, 44-38 won loss record, a 3.77 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
Phils Sign Free Agent
The Phils saw something special in the six foot four righty and gave him the kind of money reserved for the ace of a staff. On December 9, 2019, they signed Wheeler as a free agent to a five-year, $118 million contract.
He started paying dividends on day one. He hinted at things to come in the shortened 2020 pandemic season, despite making only eleven starts, he finished with a career best 2.92 ERA, it was just the start of something great.
Zack Wheeler got his 60th win with the Phillies. He is the fastest Phil to reach 60 wins since Steve Carlton 50 years ago. Zack has gone 13 straight starts throwing 6+ innings, giving up 2 ER or less, 6+ strikeouts. Longest streak in Phillies history. https://t.co/15Xp82QcIy
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 3, 2025
Twice a Cy Young Runner-Up
That 2.92 ERA in his first Philly season is also his five year average ERA in Philadelphia despite pitching in one of baseball’s best hitters parks. With his first victory in the new season, he has a career record of 60-32 with the Phils.
That he hasn’t won a Cy Young award is a bit of a crime. He placed second to Corbin Burnes in 2021 even though he put up a 7.5 WAR compared to Burnes 5.3. He also placed just behind Chris Sale last year.
The Phillies had already shown Wheeler the love. GM Dave Dombrowski and the Phils signed him to a three year $126 million extension before the 2024 season:
“We think Zack is as good as anybody in baseball right now,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “For us right now, when we look over the last handful of years, we think Zack Wheeler is as fine a pitcher in the game of baseball.”
Phillies a Contender
What he has been able to do is front a pitching staff that is now a perennial world series contender. There hadn’t been a Phils playoff appearance since 2011 and now they’ve been there three years in a row, including a visit to the Fall Classic in 2022.
Now Phil fans want to win it all. It won’t be easy with the Dodgers around but you can be sure if they ever play one another, Wheeler will easily hold his own against whichever pitching star the Dodgers throw.
They’ll have to go against perhaps the most reliable starter in the game, if not the best.
