Phillies Should Be Concerned About Worst Outing of the Year for Zack Wheeler

With another bad outing, the Philadelphia Phillies should be concerned about Zack Wheeler.

Aug 24, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) reacts after giving up a home run during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing some excellent baseball of late and are making a big push up the standings in the National League East. However, with a lengthy West Coast start, things didn’t begin well for the Phillies against the Seattle Mariners. 

Coming into Monday night, Philadelphia was riding a nine-game winning streak and undoubtedly was feeling good about how things were going. This is a team that has started to click a bit, with both the pitching staff and lineup performing well. 

The Phillies were a team that was aggressive at the trade deadline to improve, and the moves they made shook things up a bit in terms of their defensive alignments. While that still seems to be a work in progress, the team has improved quite a bit offensively with the addition of Luis Arraez. 

Furthermore, the backend of the rotation has been much better with both Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter finally starting to perform well. Philadelphia didn’t seek upgrades at the trade deadline for the back end of the rotation like many thought they might, but they haven’t been impacted by that decision with these two performing well again. 

However, as Nola and Painter have started to thrive, their ace Zack Wheeler has struggled. Against the Mariners, it was once again a tough outing, and control was an issue once again. 

Wheeler’s Inconsistencies a Concern

Aug 24, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (45) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While it could be a little bit of a lull for the right-hander, Wheeler has struggled quite a bit in the second half of the season. In the loss on Tuesday, it was the worst game of the season for the right-hander, allowing eight runs in four innings of work. 

Wheeler allowed far too many baserunners in this one with five walks and nine hits. Furthermore, the Mariners also made him pay with the longball, hitting four home runs off him. 

Coming into the game against Seattle, it did appear like Wheeler might be starting to get back into the swing of things. However, this was not an encouraging performance. 

One of the main reasons for the struggles has been the control. In three of his last four starts, he has allowed at least four walks, and that is simply too much. 

In the entire month of July, Wheeler only allowed four free passes, and that number has ballooned to 15 now in August. 

Overall, with another bad start and it being his worst of the season, there is reason to be concerned about Wheeler going forward.