Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler was excellent on the mound during Wednesday's start against the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander had seemingly no issues outside of Hunter Goodman's solo blast in the seventh inning. Wheeler tossed seven innings, allowing three hits, and striking out 10 batters in the 5-1 victory. To be fair, Wheeler did have a favorable matchup against the lowly Rockies lineup. He did what he needed to do and showed why he is the ace of this staff. We'll see if Wheeler has the same amount of success against a much stronger Atlanta Braves lineup in his next start.
Phillies Announce Zack Wheeler As Their Opening Day Starter
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced on Monday that right-hander Zack Wheeler will start on Opening Day on Thursday, March 27, against the division-rival Washington Nationals on the road. The decision doesn't come as a surprise, even though the Phillies also have right-hander Aaron Nola, who would be a staff ace for most other teams. The 34-year-old Wheeler is ranked as the No. 3 fantasy starter at RotoBaller, behind only Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, after going 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA (3.13 FIP), league-low 0.95 WHIP, 224 strikeouts and 52 walks in 200 innings over 32 starts in his fifth year in Philadelphia. Wheeler has now racked up 200-plus strikeouts and at least 192 innings pitched in three of the last four years. He'll be one of the best DFS plays at the position on Opening Day as well against the Nats.
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola Could Be Split Up In Starting Rotation
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said over the weekend that he'd like to split up right-handers Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the starting rotation this year and also do the same with left-handers Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo. It could result in an opening-week rotation of Wheeler, Sanchez, Nola, Luzardo and left-hander Ranger Suarez. In addition, right-hander Joe Ross will be built up as a starter in spring training in case an injury pops up. If the Phillies' top five starters are healthy going into Opening Day, Ross will open up in the bullpen in a relief role. Ross had a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings of relief in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Thomson said he'd be comfortable using Ross as a multi-inning reliever or in one-inning stints in more high-leverage roles.
Zack Wheeler Only Available In An Emergency In Game 4
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler won't be in the bullpen for Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. Wheeler would only pitch in an emergency situation in this must-win game for the Phillies. Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who started Game 2 on Sunday, will be available in a relief role. The Phillies are starting left-hander Ranger Suarez on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Wheeler is on just three days of rest and went 111 pitches in the team's Game 1 loss against the Mets on Saturday. Wheeler was excellent in a no-decision on Saturday, tossing seven shutout innings while giving up only one hit, walking four and striking out nine. If Philadelphia wins on Wednesday and forces a deciding Game 5 on Friday back at Citizens Bank Park, Wheeler would make the start for the Phillies.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler tossed seven shutout frames in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday afternoon. He allowed just one hit to third baseman Mark Vientos and four free passes. He struck out nine. Wheeler put the Phillies in position to win the opening game of the series, but the bullpen could not hold the one-run lead late into the game. The 34-year-old will likely take the again mound in Game 4 or 5, depending on where the Phillies stand in the series. This was another stellar outing for the Cy Young candidate as he posted a dominant 1.83 ERA and 0.79 WHIP across his final six starts of the regular season. Wheeler remains a top pick in DFS formats when he makes his next start this postseason, given his ability to go deep into games and generate a high number of strikeouts.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler threw six innings of one-run ball in Friday's 16-2 victory over the Marlins, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters on the way to earning his 14th win of the season. It was the seventh straight quality start, giving him 22 on the season and the most quality starts in all of baseball. The former first-round draft pick is having a Cy Young-caliber season, posting a 2.59 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 21.0% K-BB% over 28 starts. The 34-year-old will take on the Rays in his next matchup at home on Wednesday.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler threw seven shutout innings in Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Braves, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out seven batters on the way to earning his 13th win of the season. It was the sixth straight quality start, giving him 21 on the season and tying him with the Mariners' Logan Gilbert for the most quality starts in all of baseball. The former first-round draft pick is having a Cy Young-caliber season, posting a 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 20.8% K-BB% over 27 starts. The 34-year-old gets a favorable start in his next matchup which will be with the Marlins on the road next weekend.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler pitched well but fell to 12-5 in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Braves. Wheeler pitched six innings, allowing two runs on six hits (including a solo home run) and no walks with eight strikeouts. However, Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) held the Phillies in check in his return from the injured list. The 34-year-old has once again been a reliable high-end fantasy starter with a 2.73 ERA, a 9.89 K/9 rate, and a 2.50 BB/9 rate in 25 starts and 154 2/3 IP. In his next start, he will face a tough matchup at the Royals, but fantasy managers have no reason to avoid him.
Zack Wheeler Tosses Six Innings To Earn Victory On Thursday
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching Zack Wheeler tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) en route to earning his 12th victory of the campaign. He allowed just three hits and no walks while striking out six. The one blemish on Wheeler's start came in the fifth inning as he served up a solo shot to Washington backstop Keibert Ruiz. Since allowing seven earned runs on July 29, the right-hander has held a strong 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 3:23 BB:K ratio across his past 20 innings. Under the hood, he boasts an excellent 33.2% hard-hit rate and 27.5% K rate, which suggests he should continue to enjoy a nice second half. Wheeler should always remain in your starting lineup and is worth a look in DFS in any matchup.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler was nearly unhittable on the mound during Sunday's outing against the Seattle Mariners. Wheeler piled up nine strikeouts while allowing only two hits over eight scoreless innings in the win. The 34-year-old retired the final 15 batters he faced during this outing. Wheeler has been hard to hit all season long as he takes a 2.77 ERA and 148 strikeouts into his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Zack Wheeler
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Phillies
