Zack Wheeler's first awards season loss to division rival could foreshadow Cy Young
After missing out on the NL Outstanding Picher Award to Chris Sale, Wheeler faces the same steep competition in the Cy Young race.
Since he arrived in Philadelphia, Zack Wheeler has been some kind of phenomenon. He was a good option in free agency with the hope of staying healthy and supporting Aaron Nola in the starting rotation. Fast forward to 2022, and you have a coming-out party for Wheeler. Not just during the regular season but the postseason ace he would become for years.
Five seasons in with the Phillies, he is revered as one of the best pitchers in the game. His innate ability to live in the most chaotic moments shows how he remains steady without getting shaken. When the pressure mounts the most, Wheeler is the one you want to hand the ball to.
Zack Wheeler's first awards season loss to division rival Chris Sale could foreshadow Cy Young results
Wheeler compiled his best season yet in 2024 with a 16-7 record, 2.57 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 200 innings pitched. It was another year that Wheeler outdid himself and set the Phillies up for postseason success. The Phillies didn't capitalize this postseason, but Wheeler remained spectacular as expected.
This past weekend, the MLBPA announced the 2024 Players Choice Awards winners, which might be a precursor to the BBWAA awards handed out after year's end. After being named a finalist for the NL Outstanding Pitcher Award, Zack Wheeler ultimately fell to Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale.
Sale, along with the NL Outstanding Pitcher, brought home the NL Comeback Player Award. In his first year with the division rival, Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched. He also became the 15th pitcher in NL history to win the pitching Triple Crown, per MLB.com's Ed Eagle.
Wheeler has an uphill battle against Sale for his first Cy Young Award. Sale, who is also competing this year for his first Cy Young Award, rose from the dead after his last four injury-riddled seasons in Boston. It looks like Wheeler might fall to another pitcher having an all-time career-best year, like in 2021 against Corbin Burnes.
Wheeler is a special pitcher, and there is no doubt about it. Knowing the season he compiled and the consistency he approaches his outings, it would be a shame not to see him end up with the hardware he deserves. Wheeler has remained one of the best pitchers in all of baseball; he may just have to wait a little longer to get what he deserves.
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