Is Philadelphia Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler Best Starter in National League?

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has been among the best in baseball during the 2024 season.

Aug 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the 2024 MLB season, the Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the best teams in the league. They currently have the best winning percentage at .589 and are seven games clear of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings.

There have been a lot of contributors to the Phillies being as good as they are this season. Setting a franchise record and tying the major league mark with eight players earning a trip to the All-Star game, they have gotten contributions from up and down their roster.

One of the players who has contributed the most to their success is starting pitcher Zack Wheeler. He was one of those eight players, as he earned the trip to Globe Life Field but did not participate in the game because he was scheduled to pitch the Sunday before.

Wheeler ended up going two weeks in between starts, as he was dealing with a sore lower back. It didn’t negatively impact him, as he picked up right where he left off by mowing down the Minnesota Twins for seven shutout innings.

Overwhelming and dominating opponents has been the norm for the Phillies ace this season. He has made 24 starts, going 12-5 with a 2.72 ERA over 148.2 innings. His 162 strikeouts have resulted in a 9.8 K/9, which is the third-highest mark of his career.

Given how well he has performed, it should come as no surprise that Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report has Wheeler ranked so highly among the other aces in the league. Rymer has put the Philadelphia star at No. 3.

“Since joining the Phillies in 2020, he's been the most valuable pitcher in baseball by a margin of 4.5 rWAR. The 2.72 ERA he has this year puts him on track for a personal best, topping the 2.78 ERA he had when he, arguably, should have won the NL Cy Award in 2021.

This is where the "Yeah, but..." would go, but there's no need. Wheeler has had bad starts this season, but nothing resembling a cold stretch. His ERA hasn't gone higher than 3.00 all year,” Rymer wrote.

That consistent dominance is exactly what teams like to see from their aces. The only pitchers who ranked higher on the list were Chris Sale of the Braves and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

Being the second-highest-ranked NL pitcher is quite an accomplishment for Wheeler. He will be right in the thick of the Cy Young Award battle. A potential matchup against Sale later in August could be a determining factor in the race.