{"id":20477,"date":"2026-07-11T17:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T00:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=20477"},"modified":"2026-07-19T17:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T00:36:54","slug":"zack-wheeler-all-star-exclusion-phillies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2026\/07\/11\/zack-wheeler-all-star-exclusion-phillies\/","title":{"rendered":"Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion leaves Phillies ace off home roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 MLB All\u2011Star Game is coming to Philadelphia, yet the home crowd will not see one of the National League\u2019s best pitchers on the mound. The\u00a0<\/span>Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion<\/span>\u00a0has become the biggest talking point of the selection process, as the\u00a0<\/span>Philadelphia Phillies<\/span><\/a>\u00a0ace sits at 9\u20111 with a 2.28 ERA but will not pitch in the Midsummer Classic. He ranks among the NL leaders in nearly every pitching category. None of that mattered when rosters were announced.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion<\/span> stems from a rule that penalizes pitchers for doing their jobs. Wheeler is scheduled to start Sunday in Detroit, making him ineligible to pitch two days later in the All\u2011Star Game. Because he cannot appear in the game, the league will not name him to the roster. Not even as a replacement. Teammate <\/span>Jes\u00fas Luzardo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0got added as a replacement Tuesday. Wheeler did not.<\/span><\/p>\n

The numbers behind the Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wheeler\u2019s 2026 campaign reads like a Cy Young resume. He owns a 0.908 WHIP with 98 strikeouts against 20 walks across 87 innings. His ERA sits at 2.28, and his advanced metrics reinforce the dominance. Baseball Savant data places him in the 96th percentile in whiff rate (35.2%) and the 94th percentile in chase rate (31.4%). His expected ERA (xERA) of 2.45 aligns almost perfectly with his actual production, leaving no room for doubt about his legitimacy. The 36 year old righty returned from thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September and picked up where he left off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday night in Cincinnati, Wheeler delivered a message. He tied his career high with 14 strikeouts over seven innings, allowing four hits and one run in a 4\u20111 Phillies victory. He became the sixth pitcher in franchise history with 14 or more strikeouts and no walks in a single game.\u00a0<\/span>J.T. Realmuto<\/span><\/a>\u00a0called it \u201cabout as good as I\u2019ve seen him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like that was a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,\u201d Wheeler said after the game. \u201cIt pisses me off. It\u2019s kind of BS.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion rule makes no sense<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The rule exists to protect players from pitching too frequently. Wheeler understands that. What he does not accept is being excluded from the roster entirely. He told reporters he would pitch an inning in the All\u2011Star Game even after starting Sunday. He typically throws a bullpen session on the second or third day after a start anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I pitch on a certain day, I can\u2019t pitch an All\u2011Star game, or even be there, or get the recognition for it,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cristopher S\u00e1nchez<\/span><\/a>\u00a0suffered the same fate last season. He missed the All\u2011Star Game because he pitched the Sunday before it. Now Wheeler joins that unfortunate club. The Phillies have six All\u2011Stars this year including\u00a0<\/span>Bryce Harper<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Kyle Schwarber<\/span><\/a>, S\u00e1nchez,\u00a0<\/span>Jhoan Duran<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Brandon Marsh<\/span><\/a>, and Luzardo. Wheeler should make seven.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manager <\/span>Don Mattingly<\/span><\/a>\u00a0admitted he was surprised Wheeler did not make it. \u201cWheels does not get the attention nationally,\u201d Mattingly said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Zack Wheeler All\u2011Star exclusion<\/span>\u00a0exposes a broken system. A pitcher with Wheeler\u2019s resume deserves the recognition regardless of schedule. The All\u2011Star Game is in Philadelphia this year. The home fans wanted to see their ace. Instead, they will watch Wheeler pitch Sunday in Detroit and wonder what might have been.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Main Photo:<\/h4>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>