There's nothing quite like the double shot of energy a team gets from a fresh voice in the dugout and a superstar arm back on the mound. The Philadelphia Phillies are living proof right now, riding a wave of momentum under interim manager Don Mattingly and watching ace Zack Wheeler find his groove after a long, scary layoff.
Wheeler takes the ball again Wednesday night at home against the visiting Oakland Athletics, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. And if his first two starts are any indication, the surging Phillies are about to get even tougher to beat.
For a guy making $42 million a season, a three-time All-Star and two-time NL Cy Young Award runner-up, Wheeler's 2025 debut was delayed until April 25 in Atlanta. That came after a 253-day absence following thoracic outlet surgery to address a blood clot near his pitching shoulder. It was a serious procedure, and nobody knew exactly what to expect.
What they got was vintage Wheeler, albeit with a slightly different look. In his first start, he allowed two runs and three hits over five innings, and the Phillies won in extras. Then, last Friday in Miami, he was even sharper: one run, three hits, six innings, and his first victory of the season. He threw 94 pitches and from the third through the sixth innings, he generated 14 swings and misses.
According to CBS Sports' Matt Snyder, Wheeler's sinker averaged 94.5 mph and his four-seamer sat at 94.0 — both down a tick from his debut and a bit below last season's averages (95.4 and 96.1, respectively). But Wheeler wasn't worried.
"My body felt great," he said after the Miami start. "But it felt like my body was just moving in slow motion a little bit. That's why my velo was down just a hair. But I felt great. I still executed for the most part."
That kind of execution is exactly what the Phillies needed. When the team fired Rob Thomson and handed the reins to Mattingly, Philadelphia owned an MLB-worst 5.80 ERA. Now? The Phils are 7-1 under their new skipper, and the starting rotation has been completely transformed. In that span, Phillies starters have posted a jaw-dropping 1.53 ERA with 57 strikeouts and just 10 walks over 47 innings. Tuesday night, Cristopher Sanchez became the first Phillies pitcher to throw eight innings this season.
Adding Wheeler back into that mix — and slotting everyone else down a notch — has turned a struggling staff into a legitimate strength. With the Athletics coming to town, the Phillies look like a team that's finally whole. And for a club that's been waiting all year for this moment, Wednesday night could be another step in the right direction.