​There will be no shortage of star power at the 96th MLB All-Star Game, set to take place next week at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Yet one Phillies player has been notably overlooked by MLB so far. The absence that sticks out from the NL All-Star roster is Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, who has emerged as one of the league’s top pitchers despite missing the season’s first month.
Wheeler has looked every bit like an ace this season. In 14 starts, he sports a 9-1 record with a 2.28 ERA, a 0.908 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts across 87 innings. After hearing his name left out of the All-Star fold, Wheeler responded with a season-high 14 strikeouts in seven innings of a win over the Cincinnati Reds on July 7, allowing just one earned run. Those numbers underscore why many pundits believe he deserves consideration for the NL roster.
A closer examination of Wheeler’s season reveals why he’s been so effective. He has been among the NL’s best starters since his first appearance on April 25, following thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September. Wheeler has previously earned All-Star honors in 2012, 2024, and 2025, and he has spent the last decade neck-and-neck with the elite. He also has two runner-up finishes in NL Cy Young voting, plus a ninth-place finish last year, highlighting his longstanding quality.
The sticking point in Wheeler’s All-Star case has been innings. He has not reached the threshold for ERA title eligibility because he hasn’t pitched enough innings to qualify for the league’s ERA crown. To be eligible, a player must pitch at least one inning for every scheduled game their team plays. By that standard, Wheeler would need five more innings to qualify, as the Phillies were 51-41 before play on July 8. If he had qualified, Wheeler would sit among the leaders in ERA, ranking fifth in MLB behind only Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, Cam Schlittler of the Yankees, Eduardo Rodríguez of the Diamondbacks, and Chris Sale of the Braves.
In WHIP, Wheeler would be fourth in MLB, trailing only Misiorowski, Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers, and Drew Rasmussen of the Rays. Although his 98 strikeouts don’t lead the league due to his limited innings, his strikeouts per nine innings rate sits at 10.14, placing him just outside the top 10 and right behind fellow Phillies All-Star ace Cristopher Sánchez.
Over his 12-year career with the Phillies and the New York Mets, Wheeler has been named to the NL All-Star Game three times (2021, 2024, and 2025), all with the Phillies. The Phillies finally added a recent All-Star presence to the NL roster when Jesús Luzardo was named as an injury replacement on July 7. Luzardo becomes the latest Phillies connection to the All-Star team this season, marking another milestone for the organization.
Joining Luzardo on the NL team are Bryce Harper (nine All-Star selections), Kyle Schwarber (four), Brandon Marsh (one), and pitchers Jhoan Duran (one) and Cristopher Sánchez (two). Marsh is set to be the only Phillies starter to break the All-Star starting lineup for the National League. The Phillies enter All-Star week as a strong presence, with a roster that blends veteran pedigree and rising talent, even as Wheeler’s potential All-Star bid remains a talking point.
As the game approaches, the lingering question is whether Wheeler will ultimately be recognized with an at-large selection or if MLB’s criteria will continue to curb his immediate eligibility. Either way, his impact this season has solidified his status as one of the most formidable pitchers in the National League, and his continued dominance will be a telling subplot of All-Star Week in Philadelphia.