Phillies fans across NJ get to watch this ace for three more years

On a day where Philadelphia media was dominated (and rightfully so) by the news of Jason Kelce retiring, the baseball team in town made headlines as well.

The Phillies re-signed their ace starting pitcher Zack Wheeler for three more years, and $126 million.

Announcing this signing on the same day as Jason Kelce retiring feels a little bit like malpractice because Wheeler has been just as important, if not more, to his respective team.

Wheeler signed with the Phillies before the 2020 (COVID-19 shortened) season to the tune of five years and $118 million. At the time the consensus around baseball was that this was an overpay by the Phillies. A team trying anything to get themselves back to relevance.

They took a chance on Wheeler, who shined in bits of five seasons prior with the New York Mets. But he was never able to stay healthy and truly show what he was capable of.

That all changed once he got to Philadelphia. Wheeler unlocked his full potential (and then some, if that's possible) since becoming a Phillie. In his four seasons so far with the Phillies, he's posted ERAs of 2.92, 2.78, 2.82 and 3.61. For those who don't know a ton about baseball, he's been one of the best pitchers in the game.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said it best in their Monday press conference that Wheeler has not only been a tremendous pitcher for the Phillies but he's also been one of the best "big game" pitchers in baseball.

In his two postseason runs with the club Wheeler has made 11 starts and has a combined ERA of 2.36. He's pitched at a ridiculous clip.

I know that today, and likely for the next week or so, Philadelphia will be grieving over the retirement of Jason Kelce. But once the dust settles on that, fans are going to have something to look forward to for the next four years in Zack Wheeler.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kyle Clark. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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