Regrading the Phillies' Zack Wheeler contract extension
While Nola's doing his job early on, the Phillies are also reaping the rewards of extending the services of their other ace, Zack Wheeler, this offseason, signing him to a three-year, $126 million extension.
Wheeler has been the perfect example of dominating consistency since joining the team in 2020. As a Phillie, Wheeler has compiled a stellar 45-28 record while never sporting an ERA above 3.61 or a WHIP above 1.17 in any season. His elite performance has earned him an All-Star nod and seen him finish as a Cy Young finalist in 2021. In addition, Wheeler ranks in the top five in ERA, wins, FIP, WHIP and innings pitched among starting pitchers with at least 100 starts since 2020.
Having Wheeler for at least the next three seasons extends the Phillies' contention window. Finalizing the extension early shows that both Wheeler and the Phillies are committed to winning, giving themselves the best possible chance at a World Series championship.
So far in 2024, Wheeler has been holding up his end of the bargain, providing full value to the team just one month into the season. He currently possesses a sparkling 1.93 ERA, 211 ERA+ and 0.88 WHIP while leading the NL in strikeouts with 46 in just 37 1/3 innings pitched. If it hadn’t been for a lack of run support and some bad luck, he could be sporting a 5-0 record instead of his current 2-3 mark. He has put himself in the conversation as the early NL Cy Young Award favorite.
If Wheeler continues his dominance throughout the season and finally helps lead the Phillies to a World Series title or two in the coming years, we can change the grade to a well-deserved A+. For now, he keeps his A grade despite meeting almost all of the lofty expectations early and perhaps even a bit more.
We originally graded Zack Wheeler's extension an A, and we'll keep it that way until we see the outcome of this season.
Original Grade: A
Current Grade: A