Phillies: Starter Zack Wheeler set for ‘must-win’ club debut
By Matt Rappa
Phillies right-handed starter Zack Wheeler will make his club debut on Saturday
The 2020 Philadelphia Phillies season is underway. As star outfielder Bryce Harper tweeted prior to Friday’s 5-2 season opener defeat to the Miami Marlins, “Ready. Set. 60.” Now, with the Phillies record at 0-1, just 59 games remain in their “sprint,” before what the club hopes will precede its first postseason appearance since 2011.
But, with every game roughly equating to 2.7 games in a normal, 162-game schedule, every game means that much more. And, the much shorter schedule will mean teams will be closer in the race to compete and ultimately clinch postseason spots, albeit the expanded 2020 format with 16 qualifying teams.
Arguably, the Phillies are already in a must-win scenario when they play their second game early Saturday evening. Falling to an 0-2 start would raise significant concern, if it does not exist to some extent already.
The starting pitcher for the Phillies will right-hander Zack Wheeler — a new dad, set to appear for the first time with his new team in the regular season while donning red pinstripes.
#Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler: "Joe (Girardi) is a family guy. Family comes first to him. He knows the situation I'm in. He loves his kids. He's a good guy and he's one of the reasons I signed here." pic.twitter.com/7vfLXSt63u
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) July 5, 2020
Wheeler missed just two days of throwing to be with his wife, Dominique, for the birth of their son, Wesley. The right-hander said he feels healthy, “in tune,” and that he “should be good” for Saturday’s matchup.
“I’m happy to be here and I’m happy my son is nice and healthy. My wife is, too,” Wheeler told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “[Everyone] is healthy. That’s all I can really ask for. Hopefully everything will go well.”
RELATED | Phillies: Zack Wheeler staying prepared for 2020 season
The Phillies signed Wheeler this past offseason — after his five-season career with the New York Mets — to a five-year, $118 million contract. Wheeler is just the fifth player in franchise history to sign the dotted line on a contract of at least $100 million, joining his teammate Bryce Harper, as well as former stars Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, and Cliff Lee.
Wheeler, who turned 30 on May 30, has 126 career starts, posting a career 3.77 ERA and 1.294 WHIP. And, while he posted a 5.40 ERA across three starts down in Florida in this year’s spring training, he struck out nine batters in 8 1/3 innings. In summer camp intrasquad action, he showed signs of his full potential.
Zack Wheeler threw 1,714 pitches at 95.0+ mph in 2019, 2nd-most in MLB behind his former teammate Noah Syndergaard.
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) December 5, 2019
The most 95.0+ mph pitches by a Phillies starter in a season in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008)?
That would be 706, by Nick Pivetta in 2018...
Last season, the right-hander’s 195 strikeouts would have been the second-most on the Phillies, trailing only No. 1 starter Aaron Nola (229). Fellow right-hander Vince Velasquez had the next most, 65 fewer than Wheeler. Velasquez will start in the series finale against the Marlins on Sunday.
In 14 career starts opposite the Marlins, Wheeler is 7-3 with a 1.91 ERA. Ever since he signed, Wheeler has been considered the team’s No. 2 starter behind Nola. That still holds true with the season underway. The Phillies will need him to be at his best on Saturday to avoid an 0-2 start to the 2020 season.