Notable Prediction Sees Phillies Ace Accomplish Something for First Time in Career

The Philadelphia Phillies will accomplish something for the first time in his career if this prediction comes true.

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

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the lucky few teams to have a surefire ace to hand the ball to on Opening Day.

One could argue they have two of them, as Zack Wheeler's season-opening start last year broke a run of six consecutive Opening Day starts for veteran Aaron Nola.

But Wheeler is the clear leader of the Phillies' pitching staff now, a group that has a clear argument as the second-best in the National League behind that of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While the large contract he signed with Philadelphia ahead of the 2020 campaign was scrutinized for both its length and price, critics could not have been proven more wrong.

The once injury-prone starter has transformed into a perennial Cy Young Award contender and playoff warrior.

The Georgia native's bona fides are why Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com dubbed Wheeler as the most likely member of the Phillies to win a major individual award at the end of this season.

"Zack Wheeler has been a bastion of dominance and consistency alike during his half-decade with the Phillies," Doolittle wrote. "He's been knocking on the Cy Young door after each outstanding season, finishing second twice and sixth once during the last four years."

The righty has made at least 26 starts in all four of his full seasons with Philadelphia, and in three of those four, he has posted an ERA of 2.82 or better.

In 2024, he reached maybe his highest level yet when he produced a WHIP under 1.00 for the first time to go with his career best 2.57 ERA.

Competition will be stiff for the National League Cy Young Award this season, but Wheeler is near the top of any serious list accounting for its contenders.

"The early tide is with wunderkind Paul Skenes over on the other side of Pennsylvania," Doolittle wrote. "It's hard to be better than Wheeler has been for the Phillies, and if he keeps doing it, one of these years he'll bring home the trophy."

Skenes enters as the favorite after a phenomenal rookie season, and reigning winner Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves could make another run at it. Not to mention any of the plethora of Dodgers who have the ceiling to get it done.

But while others have longevity and injury question marks, Wheeler does not.

The Phillies' ace, barring an unfortunate injury, will post a stat line worthy of the award.

Whether he wins it or not will come down to if one of the flashier contenders can put it all together for the entire season to beat him out.

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