​CINCINNATI — Zack Wheeler’s exceptional performance Tuesday night, a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in which he matched his career high with 14 strikeouts, has become more than a showcase of his pitching. The Philadelphia Phillies ace described the outing as a reminder to anyone who needs reminding that Major League Baseball made a misstep by omitting him from next week’s National League All-Star roster. After the game, Wheeler expressed his frustration in comments broadcast by NBC Sports Philadelphia, calling the decision “pissing me off” and “kind of BS.”
Wheeler, 36, matched his best strikeout total in a game that solidified his status as one of the NL’s dominant pitchers. His performance came just hours after MLB named three additional National League pitchers to serve as All-Star replacements: Riley O’Brien of St. Louis, Jesús Luzardo of Philadelphia, and Braxton Ashcraft of Pittsburgh. These late additions to the July 14 All-Star game, which will be held this season in Philadelphia, were chosen to fill spots vacated by Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, and Miami’s Max Meyer, all of whom are slated to pitch for their clubs this weekend.
Wheeler himself is also on a tight schedule, slated to pitch against Detroit this weekend. He suggested that his performance on a specific day should not preclude him from All-Star participation or recognition, hinting that being on a certain schedule should not automatically disqualify a pitcher from the exhibition game. “Just because I pitch on a certain day, I get — you know — I don’t even know the right word,” he said, adding, “Because I pitch on a certain day, I can’t pitch in the All-Star game or even be there or get the recognition.”
The veteran pitcher asserted that deserving performers ought to have the chance to be named to the All-Star roster, regardless of their team’s schedule. “Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it,” Wheeler asserted. “There are certain ways to do it and you figure they would have a clue about it by now — how many All-Star games they’ve had.”
Wheeler even said he would have considered pitching a single inning in the All-Star game on two days’ rest, a level of preparation that would still fit within typical bullpen routines. “It’s kind of a BS rule that just because I pitch on a certain day I get punished,” he continued. “I’ll be fine throwing an inning. But it’s not even an option, I guess.”
Kyle Schwarber, who contributed significantly to the Phillies’ offense with his MLB-leading 31st home run of the season, expressed an understanding of Wheeler’s frustration. “When someone deserves it, you want them to get that acknowledgment,” said Schwarber, a four-time All-Star who was named to this season’s National League roster as a designated hitter. “We’re only in this game for so long. You want to be able to look back and feel like you have some things that put some feathers in the cap.” Schwarber emphasized the broader sentiment among teammates that deserving players should receive the recognition they’ve earned, particularly in a sport where legacy and milestones matter as much as current performance.