Zack Wheeler, The Phillies Ultimate Game 1 Weapon
The Phillies have a game 1 coming up against someone. With Mets-Brewers going to game 3, we do not yet know who that will be. But whoever they face, they…

WASHINGTON, DC -SEPTEMBER 28: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the second inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 28, 2024 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)The Phillies have a game 1 coming up against someone. With Mets-Brewers going to game 3, we do not yet know who that will be. But whoever they face, they have a weapon that will give them the ultimate edge in Game 1. Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler has started 11 playoff games for the Phillies and has a 2.42 ERA over 63.1 innings. But in game 1 he is even better. Jayson Stark joined The Best Show Ever this week and talked about just how great Wheeler has been as the series opener.
Zack Wheeler Has Been Amazing In Game 1
"He is one of those true 200-inning Aces that you can trust every time he pitches... That has been especially true in the biggest games. Which brings us to game 1. Game 1s are huge series-changing games... He has now started game 1s 4 times here...
26 innings, meaning he averages pitching into the 7th inning. 11 hits, so an average of under 3 hits per game. The 4 lineups he faced have hit .126. These are playoff games, against playoff teams. He has given up a total of 3 runs in 4 games. So his career game 1 ERA is 1.04. Do you know where that ranks among every pitcher in the division play era, who started at least game 4 game 1s? There are 49 of them and he ranks number 1 among everybody."

Those numbers include a 6-inning 2 ER performance last year vs the DBacks, 6.2 innings with 1 ER against the Marlins, 7 scoreless innings against the Padres in 2022, and 6.1 scoreless innings against the Cardinals. They won all 4 of those games.
He is the best Game 1 pitcher in baseball. He may be the best Game 1 pitcher ever. That is what the numbers suggest.
So for all of you Phillies fans who are worried about the Mets, don't be. At least not in game 1. With Zack Wheeler on the mound, it is hard to see any team beating the Phillies. He is as close to a lock to get them up 1-0 in the series as you can get. There is no pitcher you want on the mound in the playoffs right now more than Zack Wheeler.
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The Philadelphia Phillies began the MLB Playoffs in 2023 the same way they did in 2022.
Related Content: Phillies Red October Memories: 6 Games That Defined the Run to the 2022 World Series
While they didn’t win the National League East, they look primed for a hot streak in the new playoff format with six bids in each league.
The 2023 Phillies
It looked like history would repeat itself with a wild card team reaching the World Series. Except this time, the Phillies wouldn’t be the surprise underdogs against a team powerhouse like the Houston Astros.
Dave Dombrowski had added Trea Turner to an already stacked lineup. The high-priced shortstop finally came around offensively late in the 2023 regular season, and the World Series experience in 2022 made the Phillies a popular title pick locally and nationally.
The Red October crowd resumed the wrath that opponents felt during the miracle ride in 2022.
The Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and the Arizona Diamondbacks stood in their way.
Bryson Stott Grand Slam Finishes Marlins
October 4, 2023
National League Wild Card Series Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 7, Miami Marlins 1
Remember when Stott sealed the win

Déjà vu for the Atlanta Braves
October 11, 2023
National League Division Series Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 10, Atlanta Braves 2
Relive an eerily familiar NLDS

DBacks Can't Handle The Crowd?
October 16-17, 2023
National League Championship Series Games 1-2 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 3; Phillies 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 0
