Zack Wheeler cruises to incredible career milestone against the most fitting team

Zack Wheeler has been Cy Young-level this season. Many things can make up what an ace is for a club. Wheeler has been every one of them and then some. From the start of the season, being named the Opening Day starter, to shutting out the Atlanta Braves with the division on the line, he has remained elite every step of the way.

Wheel came into Saturday night's national broadcast game as a top Cy Young contender. He has also been the most consistent star on the Philadelphia Phillies' roster in 2024. Wheeler showed out on a national scale against the Braves.

With seven scoreless innings, four hits, zero earned runs and seven strikeouts, the Braves' Chris Sale may be getting a run for his money in the Cy Young race, per MLB.com's Paul Casella. Oddly enough, The Phillies only faced Sale once this season, that being the series finale at the beginning of the year.

Zack Wheeler cruises to incredible career milestone against the most fitting team

Saturday's win elevated Wheeler's record to 13-6 on the year and marked the 100th win of his career. It hit close to home for Wheeler as it came against his favorite childhood team, per Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Wheeler has been a true competitor and has never let off the gas pedal, regardless of opponent. Sometimes, the friend must become the foe, even for a player such as Wheeler, who grew up only 10 minutes from the Braves' ballpark in Smyrna, Georgia.

Since coming to Philadelphia, Wheeler immediately hit a new gear and fit right into the Phillies rotation and certainly earned his extension this past winter. In 126 starts with the Mets, Wheeler had a 3.71 ERA. In nearly the same amount of starts with the Phillies (128), Wheeler has an inspiring ERA of 2.98.

Wheeler overall has a career 3.36 ERA and, in his 10th career season, is hopeful to break through to achieve his first career Cy Young Award. Wheeler came as close as finishing second in Cy Young voting in 2021. Wheeler was asked postgame Saturday about those chances.

"Yeah, I hope so," Wheeler said, per Casella. "It's just one of those things you come into the season and that's one of your personal goals, is to win that. And I don't think there's anything wrong with personal goals.

"Because if you set those and you do well and you accomplish them or you come even close to it, you're helping the team a lot. And that's all I try to do every year, is try to be the best I possibly can. And, you know, I know that will help the team."

Wheeler knows that in order to get through the postseason, he has to be on top of his game. Nothing is guaranteed in October, but Wheeler is doing everything he can to get the Phillies to the promised land.