Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler has showcased impressive skills on the mound following his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome. Despite this, he is yet to be named an All-Star, a status he believes is due to a “BS rule.”
Wheeler is boasting a 2.28 ERA and a 0.908 WHIP over 14 starts, which would represent career-best figures. He has thrown 87 innings, and with five more innings, he would qualify for the ERA title among pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched, where he ranks sixth lowest.
While Wheeler missed the season’s start due to injury, the timing of his pitching schedule appears to be the culprit for missing the chance to play in the Midsummer Classic at his home ballpark. “It p—– me off. It’s kind of BS,” Wheeler remarked, expressing frustration over the rule preventing him from participating in the All-Star Game. He added, “I think it’s kind of just a BS rule, just because I pitch on a certain day, I get punished for it.”
Wheeler had a standout performance against the Cincinnati Reds, striking out 14 over seven innings on Tuesday. This lines him up to pitch on Sunday, two days before the All-Star Game. Wheeler noted that he’d be ready to pitch an inning at the All-Star Game, despite standard resting schedules impacting availability.
All-Star selections are made through a joint process between MLB and the MLB Players Association, involving players and coaches choosing five starting pitchers from each league. Additional selections are filled by MLB, with Jacob Misiorowski, Cristopher Sánchez, Chris Sale, Chase Burns, and Paul Skenes among those selected. Criticism of the selection process is not new, with past players snubbed due to MLB’s rule ensuring representation from every team.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Keep up with Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more updates.