In his second season with Philadelphia, Zack Wheeler has had a phenomenal 2021 season for the Phillies. Following the 5YR/$118M free agent contract Wheeler pried from Phillies’ owner John Middleton in the 2020 offseason, many were skeptical about how much Wheeler could truly contribute. The Philadelphia fanbase and front office were very familiar with Wheeler prior to the signing, as he’d played five seasons for the division rival New York Mets. He posted a consistent ERA in the mid-3s for New York, never surpassing an ERA below 3.31 in his best season, 2018, for the Mets. The repertoire was always there, but mediocrity with flashes of greatness from Wheeler was expected. But since receiving his payday, Wheeler excelled above the expectations of his contract in Philadelphia, effectively establishing himself as the ace of the Phillies pitching rotation.
Starting off right in Philadelphia, Wheeler posted a 2.92 ERA in 2020 – the lowest of his career, although it was a shortened season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Phillies fans were satisfied with his growth in the 60-game year and eager to see another upper echelon arm to match with Phillies starter, Aaron Nola in the following season.
In 2021, disappointment from the Philadelphia fanbase over the inconsistency of Nola’s pitching performances were off-set by the consistent greatness of Zack Wheeler. Wheeler got the nod in Game 2 of the Phillies opening series against the rival Atlanta Braves and he threw a beauty. Wheeler’s line consisted of 7IP, only 1 hit, and a 4-0 Phillies win. Zack was only setting the tone for what was to come. He had a start of 8IP and only 1 hit against the St. Louis Cardinals later in April. He would continue to dominate over the next several months of the season, posting several outings with over 7IP, few hits, and Phillies wins.
Wheeler delivered his signature outing of the season on August 8 against his former squad, the Mets. The Phillies were looking for a series sweep of New York to put them in first place in the division in this all-important series. In addition, the beautiful Sunday afternoon in South Philadelphia was Roy Halladay jersey retirement day (#34), a special day for the Philadelphia fan base to remember the late, great Phillies pitcher Doc Halladay. Wheeler pitched a complete game shutout, achieving a feat of retiring 22 straight batters – the first time to have been done in Philadelphia since Roy Halladay’s perfect game in 2010. It was an incredible victory for the Phillies on the shoulders of ace, Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler’s dominance has led to a league-leading and whopping 204 strikeouts in 2021 with a few starts still yet to come. He is currently second in National League Cy Young voting, and arguably the best starting pitcher this season in all of Major League Baseball. The Phillies themselves have been a squad of inconsistency this season, and one could easily argue without the help of Zack Wheeler, the team would be nothing short of last place in the division.