The Philadelphia Phillies’ midseason comeback from one of the worst teams in the National League to a legitimate contender once again has been due in large part to their pitching.
While the bullpen hasn’t been fantastic outside of closer Jhoan Duran, it hasn’t needed to be. The starting pitching of Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Zack Wheeler has propelled them into a current playoff spot.
Wheeler is having one of the best campaigns of his career in his age-36 season, and he may not stop there. He originally planned to retire after the 2027 season, but that stance may be changing.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Wheeler is actively re-evaluating his retirement plans.
What Are Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s Plans?
Wheeler has long planned for his retirement after the conclusion of his current three-year, $126 million contract. That could soon change.
While extension talks have not started, his current level of play deep into his career and chances at Cooperstown have him thinking otherwise.
“Never say never,” Wheeler said to USA Today Sports after his latest start on July 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. “We’ll see. It’ll probably depend on what happens next year. It’s something to think about for sure.”
In 16 starts this year, Wheeler has an eye-popping 5.1 bWAR. Over a full season, that would shatter his career high of 7.5 in 2021. He got a late start to the year due to a blood clot issue, but has been pitching like a Cy Young candidate since.
His ERA is also a career-best 2.16 with 117 strikeouts in 100 innings. His WHIP is also at a career-low 0.880, making him have a real chance at a top-5 Cy Young finish.
According to Nightengale, Phillies executives believe that Wheeler will change his mind about retirement. However, he will take this decision very seriously.
“It’s tough,” Wheeler said. “My kids are growing up, and they’re at that age where it’s important to have both parents around. I’m going to be there for that and see them grow and be successful in life. So, we’ll see.”
Does Wheeler Have a Chance at Making Cooperstown?
The San Francisco Giants drafted Wheeler sixth overall in the 2009 MLB Draft out of high school.
After he was traded to the New York Mets in exchange for Hall-of-Fame outfielder Carlos Beltrán, he would debut in 2013 in the Big Apple.
He would spend six years with New York. After the 2019 season, he would sign with the Phillies, where his career would really take off. In seven seasons, he has accumulated 35.9 bWAR in 173 starts with a 2.83 ERA.
That’s a great pace, but because of how he started with New York, his career bWAR is at just 45.6 over 12 seasons. He’s at nearly 2,000 strikeouts, which will put him in good company. However, he’ll need to pitch at least a few more years for him to be Hall-of-Fame worthy.
His WAR isn’t quite where most Cooperstown inductees are, nor will 2,000 strikeouts be enough without some hardware.
So, if he wants to make Cooperstown, he’ll have to truly reconsider his retirement plans.
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