The Biggest Phillies All-Star Snub: Zack Wheeler

Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Biggest Phillies All-Star Snub: Zack Wheeler

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Jul 5, 2026 3:00 PM ET

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As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to play well, they have numerous players who have had excellent starts to the campaign. Unfortunately, one of them was recently snubbed from the All-Star Game.

There have been few teams in baseball that have been better than the Phillies since May. Philadelphia is a group that has completely turned their season around following a slow start, and they are now chasing down the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

While the team might not have gotten off to a strong start, they have been a group of late that has seen a lot of their key players performing well. Even though the team might have received a spark when they fired manager Rob Thomson, they also got their star pitcher Zack Wheeler back.

The Phillies certainly had a lot of talent in their rotation even without Wheeler, but he can be one of the best pitchers in the game when healthy, and he has proven that since returning. Unfortunately, despite having a strong campaign, he wasn’t selected to the All-Star team this year.

Wheeler Should Have Been All-Star

While the Phillies will be sending five players to the All-Star Game, Wheeler should have been one of them. The talented right–hander has totaled an (8-1) record, 2.36 ERA, and 84 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched. Despite missing time to start the season, the numbers have been strong, and Wheeler deserved to make the team.

Wheeler certainly has the numbers to showcase that he deserves to be on the team, and since his return, the Phillies are one of the best teams in baseball.

Even though the right-hander might not have made the team, the Phillies will be sending five players. In the rotation, Christopher Sanchez will be getting the nod, followed by Jhoan Duran out of the bullpen.

From their lineup, the star trio of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh will be making it. For Harper, it took the Legend Pick to get him on the team, or it would have been another massive snub for the franchise.

Overall, with the game being in Philadelphia, it will be great to see the Phillies well-represented. This looked like a team that was going to have a bad year early on, but they have really been able to turn it around. While Wheeler deserved to be on the team, the snub won’t stop him from having a great rest of the season.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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