Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler Problem Has Evaporated

For a while there, things were looking pretty sticky for Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. He couldn't get the ball over the plate, he was getting tagged when he did and many were wondering if his health was becoming an issue.

But over his last couple of starts, Wheeler has assuaged all of those concerns.

On Saturday, Wheeler tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves, allowing just three hits while racking up nine strikeouts. He only issued two walks, and he was fairly economical with 95 pitches.

It marks the second straight strong outing for Wheeler, who also hurled six frames of one-run ball in a victory over the Los Angeles Angels earlier in the week.

The difference? This time, Wheeler actually performed against a good team, which is a terrific sign moving forward.

Wheeler made mechanical adjustments in his last start, and evidently, it solved the hiccups he was having beforehand.

The Phillies absolutely need this version of Wheeler if they are going to have any chance of making a deep run in October.

While Philadelphia's lineup has certainly been better, what makes the Phils a potentially dangerous foe come playoff time is their starting rotation.

Cristopher Sanchez, Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo comprise a nasty trio, and both Andrew Painter and Aaron Nola have admirably been rounding out the group.

At 36 years old, some wondered if a decline was starting for Wheeler, who missed the early stages of 2026 while recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome. But it appears that Wheeler's August struggles (which actually began in late July) were actually just a result of some mechanical issues.

Wheeler now owns a 3.23 ERA and 1.08 WHIP on the campaign. He is averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and while his 3.79 K/BB ratio is a bit down from what we are accustomed to seeing, it's still solid.

The right-hander has one year left on his contract before hitting free agency, so it will be interesting to see what his future in Philadelphia holds.

For now, though, the focus is on how Wheeler can help the Phillies for the rest of this year, and the latest developments are an indication that he still very much has it.