Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Phillies Nuggets: Zack Wheeler explains how he’s transformed into a star

Zack Wheeler will pitch in Game 1 of the NLWCS. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

During parts of five seasons with the New York Mets, Zack Wheeler flashed star potential, but between injuries and inconsistencies, was never able to reach his ceiling during his half decade in Queens.

Still, an incredible arsenal and solid — even if not spectacular — production with the Mets made him an intriguing free agent after the 2019 season. The Phillies edged out the likes of the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds in free agency, inking Wheeler to a five-year/$118 million deal. What they hoped was that he would be the No. 2 to Aaron Nola. What they’ve received has been much more than that.

Just about any way you slice it, Wheeler has been one of the five best starting pitchers in baseball since signing with the Phillies. Since the start of the 2020 season, Wheeler leads all pitchers in WAR (19.3) and is fourth in innings pitched (629 1/3). He finished a close second in NL Cy Young voting in 2021, and is likely going to finish in the top five again this season.

So what, in Wheeler’s estimation, has allowed him to go from an intriguing pitcher in New York to one of the game’s best in Philadelphia?

“I think there’s a few different things,” Wheeler said Monday afternoon, in advance of his Game 1 NLWCS start Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.

“Probably first and foremost, is being consistent mechanically,” Wheeler noted. “I changed my arm path when I came back from Tommy John surgery [in March of 2015]. It took me a while — just because you’ve thrown for so long a certain way — to really get ahold of it and make it work every single pitch.

“Once I did that, my command got a lot better, night and day. That definitely helped, because I always had the velo, just didn’t have the best command consistently.”

Wheeler also credited the two pitching coaches that he’s had in Philadelphia, Bryan Price in 2020 and Caleb Cotham since then. Specifically, Cotham has been an excellent teacher of how to spin the ball on off-speed pitches, according to Wheeler.

But the 33-year-old says that his transformation mechanically — along with trusting the incredible arsenal of pitches he has — has been the biggest factor as he’s put together one of the better four-year stretches in Phillies history.

“I think that’s probably the biggest thing, is just mechanically being able to repeat it,” Wheeler said. “And just understanding that I do have the stuff to go right after guys and just trust that.”

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Postseason Nuggets

Despite a relative down season offensively, J.T. Realmuto says that 2023 has been “about the healthiest I’ve been in any season.” While there are always minor bumps and bruises as a catcher, the 32-year-old says he avoided any nagging hip or shoulder injuries in his fifth campaign with the Phillies.

Barring any injuries, the plan is for Bryce Harper to play first base for the entirety of the playoffs, which will allow Kyle Schwarber to DH.

The Phillies haven’t finalized their postseason roster yet, so Rob Thomson was mum on how many pitchers the Phillies will carry and who will start in left field for Game 1.