The Philadelphia Phillies are well on their way to producing a season from hell in 2026. The offense has been uninspiring for weeks, while the pitching staff continues to lack any kind of identity. Right-hander Zack Wheeler is slated to make his 2026 season debut on Saturday, so the rotation will get some kind of reinforcement. Wheeler has been the ace of a consistently stellar rotation during his tenure in Philly, but he'll have an even heavier burden to carry upon his return.
One of the biggest culprits of the Phillies' worst-in-the-game start has been their hopeless starting pitching to begin the year. The starters enter the weekend with an ERA over 5.00, which ranks towards the bottom of baseball's barrel. For Wheeler, it will be quite a different feel from what he's grown accustomed to.
The Phillies rotation needs Zack Wheeler back more than ever after nightmarish start
If the Phillies could rely on anything over the last few seasons, it was their starting pitching. In 2025, their rotation sported an impressive 3.53 ERA, second-best in MLB. In August, Wheeler was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and was forced to miss the last six weeks of the regular season, including the entire postseason. Before he went down, Wheeler was on his way to another Cy Young chase with a 10-5 record, 2.71 ERA, and 195 strikeouts in 24 starts. His output was still good enough to earn him a ninth-place Cy Young Award finish.
With how poorly the Phillies' starters have played, it's staggering to believe it's practically the same rotation as just six months prior. Rookie right-hander Andrew Painter was the only change at the back end of what was expected to be an established part of the roster.
2025 Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez has been one of the few beacons of light, with a 1.59 ERA across his first 28 1/3 innings that rose to 2.94 after Thursday's bleak Wrigley Field showing. Shockingly, the next closest is Painter with a 4.42 ERA. Jesús Luzardo has a 6.91 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, Aaron Nola has a 5.06 ERA in 26 2/3 innings, and Taijuan Walker has a 9.13 ERA in 22 2/3 innings.
Wheeler has also been working through his rehab assignments while battling a dip in velocity. You could chalk it up to missing most of the offseason in recovery, but it's something that could hinder his return to the major league mound. Wheeler will have personal challenges to work through when he returns, but will also now have the unfair expectation of saving this Phillies rotation from further turmoil.
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