Zack Wheeler Uses All-Star Snub as Motivation To Mow Down Reds

The Cincinnati Reds had to face the wrath of Zack Wheeler after he was not named an NL All-Start.

Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have five players who were originally named to the National League All-Star Team.

They have one starter, with Brandon Marsh sharing the outfield with Juan Soto of the New York Mets and Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kyle Schwarber made the team as the second designated hitter and Bryce Harper was a legend pick by commissioner Rob Manfred.

On the mound, closer Jhoan Duran and ace Cristopher Sanchez were selected. After a few pitchers pulled out of the event, Jesus Luzardo was also named an NL All-Star as a replacement.

Noticeably absent from that list is Zack Wheeler. He certainly deserved to be named an All-Star, but wasn’t selected originally and won’t be picked as a replacement because he starts on Sunday and likely wouldn’t participate in the game.

Zack Wheeler voices displeasure with MLB All-Star snub

Unsurprisingly, he was not thrilled about not being selected to the team and has been using that as motivation when he takes the mound. The Cincinnati Reds were on the receiving end of one of the most dominant outings in the veteran’s career.

After the game, he expressed his frustrations about not being a part of the NL All-Star Team and getting to play at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.

"You figure they'd have a clue about it by now with how many All-Star Games they've had,” Wheeler said while speaking to the media after the game at his locker.

The veteran believes that the rule in place, deeming him ineligible to pitch because he will be taking the mound on Sunday, is a “BS rule,” and he likely isn’t the only player who feels that way about it.

Zack Wheeler said it "pisses me off" that he wasn't named an All-Star, and being ruled ineligible to pitch in the game due to his start on Sunday is a "BS rule."

"You figure they'd have a clue about it by now with how many All-Star Games they've had." pic.twitter.com/gTWLXlxiAF

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 8, 2026

If there was any doubt about Wheeler’s candidacy as an All-Star, he put it to rest with what he did to the Reds. He threw seven innings, allowing only four hits without issuing a walk, surrendering one earned run that came on an Eugenio Suarez solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Wheeler was living in the strike zone, throwing 69 of his 104 pitches for strikes, racking up a career-high tying 14 strikeouts. Every player in the Cincinnati starting lineup struck out at least once in the game, with Jonathan Bowlan recording one strikeout in the eighth and Duran recording all three of his outs via the strikeout in the ninth inning.

Set to take the mound in the team’s final game of the first half against the Detroit Tigers on July 12, it will certainly be interesting to see what Wheeler has planned as an encore.

He is arguably the biggest All-Star snub in baseball with a 9-1 record, 2.28 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 14 starts and 87 innings pitched.

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