It's time for the Philadelphia Phillies to get seriously concerned about Zack Wheeler.
What exactly is going on with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler?
Wheeler got absolutely shelled in the Phillies' 9-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, allowing eight runs on nine hits — including four home runs — over four innings of work. He also walked five batters.
The left-hander now owns a 7.59 ERA over five August starts, and his WHIP this month is 1.875. He has issued 15 walks across 21.1 frames, walking four or more batters three times in his last four outings.
Keep in mind that Wheeler had previously not issued four walks since May 29, 2025. Prior to that, he had not handed out four free passes since April 25, 2024.
Something is seriously up with the 36-year-old, who missed the early stages of 2026 while recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Nothing seemed to bother him upon his return, as he logged a 2.09 ERA in May and a 1.71 ERA in June. Since then, however, the wheels have started to come off.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images.The first warning signs were in July, when Wheeler posted an uncharacteristically high 3.90 ERA. That certainly wasn't terrible, but it also was very unlike Wheeler. Things have really hit the fan here in August, where Wheeler has allowed a .956 OPS.
Wheeler says he feels healthy. His velocity also looks okay. So what is the issue?
Right now, the three-time All-Star just seems to be missing his spots. He has lost command of the strike zone, and when he does throw strikes, they just happen to be right in the wheelhouse of opposing hitters.
Perhaps there is something slightly off with his mechanics. Maybe he has lost some confidence. It's hard to chalk it up to bad luck at this point. It's too large of a sample size for that.
One thing is for sure: it's hard to imagine the Phillies making a deep playoff run with this version of Wheeler, especially with Cristopher Sanchez also exhibiting some concerning signs, as well.
Wheeler has long been a terrific pitcher. He's been a stalwart throughout his entire time in Philadelphia. Yes, he's older now, but if this is a decline, it was incredibly sudden.
The Phillies need to find out what's going on with the southpaw, or else their World Series hopes will completely go up in smoke.
