Philadelphia Phillies Ace Has Simple Answer on Potential Series Against New York Mets

Zack Wheeler spoke about the Philadelphia Phillies playing the New York Mets in the playoffs.

Jun 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have made a few questionable decisions over much of the past decade, but those seem to be behind them.

However, it has to hurt that Zack Wheeler turned into the pitcher every Mets fan once expected him to be with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Wheeler wasn't bad during his time in New York, but he never panned out due to injuries and other reasons.

Fast forward to his time with the Phillies, and one could make a strong argument that, at worst, he's a top-10 pitcher in baseball. That might be underselling him, too.

Baseball always has a way of working things out, and if things go as they could, Philadelphia and the Mets could meet in a potential playoff series.

Wheeler returning to Queens and facing his former team would be a treat to watch, but he's not too worried about that possibly happening.

The right-hander spoke with Dan Martin of the New York Post about how he'll feel if it happens.

“Our ultimate goal is just to win,’’ Wheeler said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re up against.”

No matter the place or time, this ball club is ready to go.

“It’s tough for teams to play here, so of course you want to play at home, but we’ll play anywhere. We just want to keep winning.”

The Phillies are a team that simply wants to take care of business. That's all because of what the front office has done in building this roster.

With veteran talent throughout both sides of the baseball, they're ready to go against anybody.

As for Wheeler, his time in New York ended with fans upset with his decision to sign with Philadelphia. He's certainly heard the backlash.

However, he said he isn't holding any grudges.

“I never held a grudge or anything like that,” Wheeler said. “Baseball is a business. I’ve learned that over the years, especially after I got traded [from the Giants to the Mets in the Carlos Beltran deal] in 2011.”

As of September 16, the Mets are tied for third place in the National League Wild Card, so unlike the Phillies, they're far from guaranteed to get in.

They've played well over the past few weeks, but they dropped two straight during their series in Philadelphia, leading to some intrigue about their chances of making the postseason.

The two clubs will meet again for a four-game set in Queens starting September 19.