Don Mattingly has seen a lot of baseball greatness in his Hall of Fame career, but even he was impressed by Zack Wheeler's latest masterpiece. The Philadelphia Phillies ace delivered a vintage Cy Young-caliber performance Tuesday night, carving up the Boston Red Sox in a 2-1 victory that had everyone talking.

Wheeler was nothing short of surgical, needing just 87 pitches (57 strikes) to cruise through 7.1 innings. The right-hander was so efficient that he required only 16 pitches to get through the first three innings—the fewest by any starting pitcher to complete the opening frames since 2000, according to MLB.com's Paul Casella. Two key double plays helped keep his pitch count remarkably low.

What makes the outing even more impressive? Wheeler admitted he was "a little nervous" during his warmup, throwing only about three strikes in the bullpen. "Usually, when that happens, it could go really bad or pretty well," he said. It went pretty well.

Mattingly, serving as interim manager, couldn't help but draw a comparison to one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. "You're thinking Maddux-like at that point," Mattingly said, referencing the legendary Greg Maddux, who was famous for throwing complete-game shutouts in 100 pitches or fewer—a feat now known as a "Maddux."

Wheeler's dominance is particularly remarkable given his recent history. The three-time All-Star missed the end of last season after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. Through four starts since returning, he's 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. If he keeps this up, he could be the starting pitcher for the Midsummer Classic at his home ballpark in July.

For Phillies fans, seeing their ace back in form is a welcome sight—and a reminder that even after major surgery, elite talent finds a way to shine.