One of the biggest snubs of this years MLB All-Star Game is without a doubt Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher and ace Zack Wheeler.
With this year’s All-Star Game taking place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, MLB had the perfect opportunity to put Wheeler on the roster after he posted a 9-1 record with a 2.28 ERA across 87.0 innings.
After a dominant start against the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week, Wheeler reacted to be snubbed.
“I feel like that was kind of a reminder, you know, for whoever needs to be reminded,” Wheeler said to reporters. “So, you know, it’s … it pisses me off. It’s kind of BS.”
Wheeler Approached by MLB
Reports revealed Saturday that MLB approached Wheeler on Friday night about replacing Reds pitcher Chase Burns on the National League All-Star team.
However, Wheeler reportedly declined that offer and they ended up replacing Burns with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski.
Wheeler allegedly said that he “felt disrespected” and did not want to be a fifth option on the NL Team.
Zack Wheeler was approached by MLB to be an All-Star replacement but declined because he felt disrespected, per @charlottevarnes pic.twitter.com/cBLmmYHC2I
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 11, 2026
His Reaction to MLB Rule
Wheeler criticized the MLB rule that only allows pitchers who are available to pitch in the All-Star Game to earn a roster spot. Because of where he fell in the Phillies’ rotation, he was deemed unavailable and was left off the roster.
“You know, maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there, I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it,” Wheeler said. “… Just because I pitch on a certain day doesn’t mean that I get, you know, I can’t pitch in the All-Star Game or even be there or get, you know, the recognition for it, you know they could have done it a few different ways. … I didn’t necessarily have to get chosen right away but, you know, I feel like I was right there.
“So maybe they put me in and automatically just shoot me right back out and put somebody else in. You know, there’s certain ways to do it,” he added.
“I think it’s kind of a BS rule that, you know, just because I pitch on a certain day, I, you know, get punished for it.”
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