On Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies secured a 4-0 win over the San Diego Padres behind the masterful pitching of Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ ace capped off June in style, delivering eight scoreless innings, allowing just six hits, striking out 10, and walking none, while guiding the club to its 50th victory of the season.
While Wheeler has been nothing short of outstanding this season—owning an 8-3 record, a 2.27 ERA, 136 strikeouts, and an exceptional 0.91 WHIP—his final start of June capped off what can only be described as a historic month, producing numbers that continue to etch his name into the Phillies’ record books.
Over the course of the month, in which he made five starts, the 35-year-old right-hander went 2-1 with a remarkable 0.58 ERA. As Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported, putting this in historical perspective, “Since 1912, he is only the fourth Phillies pitcher to post a 0.60 ERA or under with 30 or more innings pitched in a month, joining Cliff Lee (0.21 ERA in June 2011 and 0.45 ERA in August 2011), Tommy Greene (0.29 ERA in May 1991) and Lee Meadows (0.23 ERA in July 1919).”
His manager, Rob Thomson, has never seen anything quite like it. “I don’t think I’ve had a pitcher that, whether I’m coaching or managing, that has had a month like that. Maybe I have, but he was pretty much dominant the whole month…Just efficient, strike-throwing ability, command, velocity. He had it all.”
After Monday night’s gem, the Phillies’ X account summed it up best: “He just keeps on Wheelin’ and dealin.” It’s a fitting description for a pitcher who remains the cornerstone of the Phillies’ rotation.
With the way Wheeler has been pitching, his numbers all but guarantee he’ll be headed to the All-Star Game on July 15. There’s even a case to be made that if the Phillies continue to lead the NL East and remain among baseball’s top teams (they entered Wednesday tied with the Cubs for the fourth-best record in the majors at 50-35), Wheeler should get the start. It would be a fitting honor for the Georgia native, with this year’s Midsummer Classic set for Truist Park in Atlanta.
And looking even further ahead, Wheeler is once again making a case to be counted among the game’s elite starters. After finishing as the runner-up in last season’s NL Cy Young race, he’s on track to build another strong argument for the award this year—provided he keeps pitching at this level and the Phillies continue to win.
Phillies fans will have the privilege of watching Wheeler for at least two more seasons, but as previously reported, he’s expected to retire after the 2027 season, when his three-year, $126 million extension comes to an end.
Over his career in Philadelphia, Wheeler has compiled a 67-35 record with a 2.86 ERA, 29.8 WAR, and 1,035 strikeouts across 936.1 innings pitched.
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