Zack Wheeler Had Words for Juan Soto After Mets' Loss to Phillies

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 12:18 AM ET

The New York Mets lost their seventh straight game on Friday, falling to the Philadelphia Phillies in an important NL East matchup. These two teams entered the weekend with identical records, so this victory moved Philadelphia ahead of New York for sole possession of first place in the division.

Philadelphia turned to ace right-hander Zack Wheeler for the series opener against New York. Pitching five scoreless innings, Wheeler surrendered just four hits while striking out eight hitters.

Wheeler ended with a no-decision, but it was another strong outing for the veteran right-hander, and one that vaulted Philadelphia into first place.

Wheeler is amid another Cy Young-caliber season. With five scoreless frame against New York, he lowered his season ERA to 2.61 which ranks fifth in the National League.

Having spent his entire career in the NL East, Wheeler has a lot of history with Mets outfielder Juan Soto. The two have been division rivals dating back to Soto's time with the Washington Nationals, and Wheeler was asked about this after the game.

"He's a competitor," he said of Soto. "I'm a competitor. I always enjoy facing him."

"He's a competitor. I'm a competitor. I always enjoy facing him."

Zack Wheeler talks about having Juan Soto back in the NL East, this time with the Mets: pic.twitter.com/Tp6VmdAizm
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 21, 2025

For his career, Soto is 13-for-48 against Wheeler with two home runs (via StatMuse).

Soto finished Friday's game 0-for-2 with two walks. Like many of his teammates, the left-handed slugger is amid a slump. Over his last seven games, Soto is just 4-for-23 (.174) with one home run and two RBIs. On the season, he is hitting .246 with 14 home runs and 37 RBIs.

While he has never won the award, Wheeler has finished second in Cy Young voting twice (2021, 2024). He is also a two-time All-Star, and very likely headed toward a third this season. The 35-year-old is in his 11th MLB season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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