There are four players in MLB with a higher bWAR than Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler, but nobody can hope to top him in PAR (pettiness above replacement). Last week, after he was left off of the All-Star Game roster, Wheeler struck out 14 batters to tie his career-best performance. To make it very clear where his motivation came from, after the game he called the All-Star selection policies “BS.” Wheeler turned his doubters into his outers at the pitching mound of success, but he’s not done.
The league listened to Wheeler’s comments, and Wheeler listened to me (as everyone should always). He made enough of a splash with his near-expletives, and his reminders sent to the people who need reminding, that on Friday the league offered him a spot on the All-Star Game roster. They may have thought that this would put the whole ordeal to bed. But that just shows how little the league understands true greatness.
Zack Wheeler knows his worth. He is an artist with the brush of spite in his hand. He cannot be placated with such disrespectful participation trophies. He will accept nothing less than greatness. Would Michelangelo be satisfied with painting only The Creation of Adam and not the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Imagine if Andy Warhol stopped at only one Marilyn. How different might the world be if Shakespeare never expanded past historical plays into the field of tragedies such as Hamlet and Macbeth? Naturally, Wheeler declined the invitation. He explained to reporters on Saturday, “They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate.” He added that he didn’t want anyone to throw him a “pity party,” but that’s likely because he’s already been busy for the past week planning himself a petty party.
Ever the visionary, Wheeler put a finishing touch on his petty stand. The next day, in the scheduled start that barred him from playing in the All-Star Game anyway, Wheeler achieved pitching greatness once again. This time, he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out 10. He lowered his ERA to 2.13 through 93 innings as he flashed the muscles he acquired from pulling the Phillies' 2026 season out of the depths of the Delaware River.
Wheeler was a bona fide ace from the moment he returned to the mound in April, but these past few weeks of spite seem to have unlocked something in him. It’s the type of small but game-changing tweak that pitchers search for. Some may change their grip, their delivery, or their workouts. But Zack Wheeler adopts an anger so powerful and so righteous that it makes his sweeper unhittable. With the pure spite coursing through him, he is ascending in the ranks to become a god among men. Perhaps he declined the invitation not just to make some larger point or protect his peace, but because he knew he would be too much for the other so-called all-stars to handle.
