Zack Wheeler’s Stats Vs This Mets Lineup: Game 1 Preview

The wait for Red October is over. The Phillies playoff journey begins this Saturday at 4:08 pm, with the hated Mets coming to town. Will the Phillies start the series with a win? The good news for them is they have the ultimate weapon to open up the series, Zack Wheeler.

No modern pitcher has been better in game 1s than Zack Wheeler. Don't believe me? Then don't take my word for it. This is what Hall of Fame Baseball writer Jayson Stark said when he joined The Best Show Ever earlier in the week.

“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.”

Related: Zack Wheeler, The Phillies Ultimate Game 1 Weapon

So he is as good as it gets when opening the series. But how has he fared vs the Mets? Let's take a look at his history vs the Mets, and the hitters in this lineup.

Wheeler has faced the Mets 15 times since he signed here. In those starts, he has a 3.56 ERA and averaged pitching 6.4 innings per game. But he has a few stinkers mixed in there, including giving up 5 runs over 5.1 innings back in June. He followed that up with a 7 inning performance where he held them to 3 runs a couple of weeks ago though.

Individual Mets hitters have surprisingly had success vs him to this point though.

So some of them have a good history against Wheeler. Will they continue their success vs him? With how great Wheeler is in-game 1s, it feels like you don't need to worry about that.

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.

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.

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

It was a done deal. Right?