Inside The Phillies

Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler Named NL Player of the Week

The Philadelphia Phillies are up among the National League's best, and their ace Zack Wheeler has been leading the way to the promised land all year long.
Jeremy Trottier|
Jul 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park.
Jul 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are near the top of the National League standings alongside the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, and one of the key reasons for their success has been their pitching staff.

The core component of that unit has been their ace, Zack Wheeler, who has performed at a high level all season long.

He is coming off one of the best weeks of his career, which was rewarded by the MLB.

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Wheeler threw a complete game on July 6 against the Cincinnati Reds, which put the league on notice when he racked up 12 strikeouts while only allowing one hit and one earned run.

That wasn't the only impressive performance from the veteran right-hander, though.

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In that seven-day period, Wheeler pitched 17 innings where he allowed seven hits, one earned run and no walks while racking up a whopping 22 strikeouts.

That earned him the National League Player of the Week Award, an honor he shared with Chicago Cubs infielder Michael Busch.

Both teams have 50-plus wins through early July and look poised to make deep runs into the playoffs come October.

These types of performances from him are why the Phillies are paying him $42 million a year. And at the rate he is producing, that may start looking more and more like an underpay for such an exceptional player.

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With 100 pitches or more thrown over his last three starts, it is clear he is starting to really get into a groove.

Over the course of the next few weeks, hopefully he can sustain that level of play and push Philadelphia even further ahead in the division.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.

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Jeremy Trottier
JEREMY TROTTIER

Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.

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