Inside The Phillies

Consistency and Durability Makes Up for Any Decrease in Stuff for Phillies Ace

A Philadelphia Phillies ace is making up for any dip in velocity with his durability and consistent performance.

Kenneth Teape

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the second inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark.
Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the second inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Phillies have what looks to be the best pitching staff in baseball in the early going of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is a deep and talented group that can go toe-to-toe with any other rotation in baseball one through five.

Anchoring that group is veteran Zack Wheeler, who is criminally underrated in some regard.

Rarely brought up when people discuss the best starting pitchers in baseball, he is right in the mix for a top spot.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN recognizes that, placing the Phillies star at No. 3 in a recent piece ranking the top starting pitchers in the game. He landed in “The Slam Dunk Aces” tier, and rightfully so.

Wheeler is the second-oldest player in that tier and on the list overall; only Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves is older. But he has shown no signs of slowing down, as even a dip in velocity isn’t negatively impacting his game.

“Wheeler is about to turn 35 years old and his velo is slipping a bit for the fourth straight season, but he's still securely on this list because he racks up innings among the league leaders and performs well in the playoffs,” McDaniel wrote.

Slightly diminished velocity is doing nothing to stop the Philadelphia ace from producing at a high level.

In 2024, he was the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award to Sale.

He had a very strong argument to win the award, making 32 starts while throwing 200 innings. Wheeler recorded a 2.57 ERA with 224 strikeouts. His 0.955 WHIP and 6.3 H/9 both led the NL.

It was the second time in his career that he finished second, as the same thing happened in 2021 when he was beaten out by Corbin Burnes, who was pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers.

This year, Wheeler has gotten off to just as strong of a start through his first three outings.

He has pitched 18.1 innings with a 3.44 ERA, as the long ball has been the only thing he has struggled with out of the gate. Everything else is as good as ever, and he currently leads the MLB with 25 strikeouts.

Out of the gate, he looks like he will be competing for the Cy Young Award again and anchoring a pitching staff that hopes to make a deep run in the postseason.

The lack of hardware may be seen as a knock against his resume, but Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, consistently, during his tenure with the Phillies.

There were some durability concerns earlier in his career with the New York Mets, never quite taking the step many thought he was capable of as a top prospect. 

He has fully realized it in Philadelphia, though, cementing his status as one of the best starters in baseball.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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