Wheels Up: Phillies ace Zack Wheeler joins the show!

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Zach Wheeler. Welcome to Phillies shown.

00:00:07
Speaker 2: Rubin Marr Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd's Alecki. We are in Clearwater, Florida. We are almost at the end well week two of Campchin.

00:00:17
Speaker 3: It flies, It really does fly.

00:00:19
Speaker 4: You wait all winter for baseball season to come back, and it just goes pedal to the metal right away, and it's not even the season yet. But of course we're in spring training. In the games, we'll begin on Saturday with the Phillies traveling to the middle of Florida Lakeland play the Tigers, and then on Sunday they will host the Baltimore Orioles in their first home game here in clear Water. Rob Thompson has not really announced his pitching plans for the early part of the Grapefruit League season. When he does that, you can kind of start getting out the calculator and figuring out who's going to line up where in the season opening rotation. But I think we can bet that once March twenty seventh comes around in Washington, Zach Wheeler will make the opening day start for the Phillies.

00:01:08
Speaker 2: No, yeah, no, no doubt about it. I mean, Zach was the opening they started last year. I remember it was like Aaron Nola had started the previous few and then Zach gets to start last year, and no doubt, and why wouldn't he.

00:01:19
Speaker 3: Such a fun guy to watch pitch?

00:01:21
Speaker 2: And I hate I hate to say this because it's but I really feel, you know, my first three years covering the team, it was like Hammels and it was Halliday and Lee and Roy Olswall. I kind of feel I didn't appreciate it as much as I did, just for whatever reason. But then when you see Zach Wheeler now and Aaron Nola now, these guys that go two hundred innings every year, I just really find myself loving watching those guys pitch.

00:01:48
Speaker 3: Those are a lot of those are really fun.

00:01:50
Speaker 2: Days at the ballpark because Zach is a throwback man.

00:01:54
Speaker 3: To throwback, he's a workhorse.

00:01:57
Speaker 4: He's one of the vanishing breed in Major League Baseball. The two hundred innings starter. Last year, there were only four of them in the major leagues, and he was one of them, getting to exactly two hundred innings in his last start of the season. I know that was important to him, and it's going to be important to him as he starts of this new uh three year extension with the Phillies, and you know, we were lucky enough to talk to him a little bit.

00:02:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, we were.

00:02:27
Speaker 2: This is Yeah, We've wanted to have talked to Zach for a while because he's such a fascinating guy and he really is a throwback in a lot of ways. You know, you and I we love his demeanor on the mound. It's a total bulldog. You know, he pitches deep into games. Of course, he's elite, which you have to be to pitch deep into games. But you know, we had Caleb Kathamon recently, we had JT. Real Muto on recently, and both of those guys just really dug into like kind of what makes him great. And so Zach kind of explained kind of what makes him tick on the mound in the offseason during the season to kind of get him to that elite cy Young caliber level.

00:03:02
Speaker 4: And it's almost like he pitches like his personality no bs, very serious, very efficient and I'm gonna attack you. And you know last year he finished his second in the Cy Young voting. I mean, you know, I'm sure there was a little bit of a tinge of disappointment but I mean, that's a hell of the season. You finished second to cy Young. He was you know, led to the led the league in innings I'm sorry, second in the league in innings. Uh, and he led the league in ops against and whip. Yeah, I believe he was dominant second a second in e ra A. Just a fabulous season. And so he's got two second place finishes in the cy Young and last handful of years. That's that's that's pretty impressive.

00:03:46
Speaker 2: And you know what I liked about this this interview, which you're about to hear, is that we talked. You talked about how he's like no Bs on the mountain and he really gets after it. But you see like his personality in this interview and Zach is he's a lot like Halliday and like some of these elite guys on the mound, but off the field, he's really chill, really laid back. In fact, I remember I think it was two postseasons ago before he pitched in Atlanta. I'm standing in the dugout myself and I can't remember who else is out that. I think it was Matt Gelb and Zach comes out before Game one or Game two of this series, whichever one he pitched, and he just starts talking to us, and I'm sitting there going, oh.

00:04:25
Speaker 3: Man, I hope he pitches well. And I hope no one has a photo of me chatting with Zach.

00:04:28
Speaker 2: Before this game, because, you know, because people get superstitious about that stuff. But he is really laid back off the field, total hardcore pitcher on the field, and that's why he has a chance to win a Soal Young every year.

00:04:41
Speaker 4: It's been a great, great great three greats. Signing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Seems to get better every year. And when I you know, watch the way how dedicated he is to his craft and the condition he is in, I still feel like the best yet to come. I feel like he might cash in on one of those Winna saw Young one of these years. And of course the big prize is the World Series. That's what he wants more than anything. That's what guys in that room want more than anything.

00:05:11
Speaker 2: And here's something I'm gonna throw this out there, because as Hall of Fame standards shift over the years, man, if he has three Zach Wheeler type years, I wonder if you could enter the conrece He's not gonna have the wins. Of course he's not gonna have the strikeouts, but in terms of dominant pitchers for an extend period of time, we might down the road be talking about him as a potential hot Hall of Fame candidate.

00:05:33
Speaker 3: We'll see, we'll see.

00:05:34
Speaker 2: I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I think you're gonna enjoy this. Here we go, our conversation with Zach Wheeler. Zach, thanks for joining us. Spring training has started. I think a lot of talking a lot of the guys already the first week. You know, they're really excited about this team. You know, even though you guys haven't kind of crossed the finish line in.

00:05:51
Speaker 3: The last few years.

00:05:53
Speaker 2: What has you excited and what has you and confident about this team in twenty twenty five.

00:05:58
Speaker 5: Well, first things first, I think we're a good you know, we did well last year. We got to where we wanted to be. We just did finish the job. You know, we won the division, won a lot of baseball games, made it to the playoffs. You know, we're happy with that. But at the end of the day, you can be happy with that, but you want to win the World Series every single year, and that's the goal coming in the spring, and so you know that was about the only letdown last year was you know, just not finishing the job. And you know, I think that has this a little more hungry, especially with the group of guys that we had. You know, we came close the past few years, so you know, I think finally just getting there and you know, kind of putting our nose down at the right time to go.

00:06:38
Speaker 2: And the last few springs, you know, you've come in two springs ago with the sweeper. Lit's past spring it was a split and I knew, I asked you the other day. I kind of knew you wouldn't have another pitch because there's only so many pitches you can throw. But do you come into this spring like I know you're always trying to like get better and take that next step. What's the point of emphasis if it's anything this spring for you?

00:07:02
Speaker 1: I don't know.

00:07:04
Speaker 5: I don't know, Like you said, usually come in with something new, So I'm kind of concentrated on that and other stuff will kind of just you know fall into place.

00:07:10
Speaker 1: But I don't know, it's.

00:07:13
Speaker 5: Nothing really, you know pinpointed this year, you know, just just getting your work in as everybody would always say, and you know the stone strikes, staying healthy and just getting to the season.

00:07:23
Speaker 4: Zach, year six, right, you're six in Philadelphia. What is the experience come becoming a Philly coming to Philadelphia meant to you? Because it just seems like you get better every year. It seems like it's been a great marriage with the team, with the city, with the you know, your coaches, and and you just keep getting better and better.

00:07:42
Speaker 5: Yeah, hopefully that continues. You know, it's hard to get better and better every season. You know, it's just sometimes it has to do with a lot of luck. And I have a good team playing behind me, have a good defense behind me. That definitely helps. And you know I have people pushing me on the staff, you know, pitching staff and Caleb also, so you know, just all those factors kind of adding up over the years, and you know, just having that drive to get better. Also, you know, you they give you this contract and you don't want to let people down. You don't want to let you know, your family down, your name down, that type of stuff. And you know, when you're walking around, you don't want people to look at you a certain way.

00:08:22
Speaker 1: So you try to do the best.

00:08:23
Speaker 5: You can and you know, live up to that contract, if not exceeded.

00:08:27
Speaker 4: You mentioned the contracts you starting now are the highest, uh have the highest one year salary in the history of Philadelphia sports. What type of responsibility comes with that?

00:08:38
Speaker 5: Kind of just the same thing. I said, you know, it's living up to that contract. And now I got a new one, so you know, it's it's up there and I gotta I gotta live up to it the best I can.

00:08:47
Speaker 1: Hopefully that works out.

00:08:49
Speaker 5: You know, I feel great, So hope that can continue, just to kind of build on what I've been doing.

00:08:54
Speaker 4: I remember your opening press conference you were you spoke a little bit how you were eager to see how the Feel Analytics program could help take you to the next level. And then your first spring training you said you were eager to throw to j T rol Mudo. Those being factors on why you chose the Phillies. Can you speak on you know, what the Phillies Analytics program has done for you to help get you to the next level, and what your relationship is and throw it to JT and whatnot.

00:09:19
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, I think kyleb has done an awesome job.

00:09:23
Speaker 1: I gotta give a lot of credit to him.

00:09:25
Speaker 5: You know, I've always had a good fastball, but O speed's always struggled, you know, finding basically what pitch kind of fits me the best and then improving that and throwing it for strikes and good quality strikes and stuff like that. So he is a nerd in the aspect of he can dive into all these numbers and angles and this and that. He knows how to look at a ton of different stuff and kind of shrink it down and give it to me how I kind of soak it in. And that's a lot of visual stuff for me. You know, Kayla could sit there with a ball and spin it. This is how the ball needs to be spinning, not like this, but like this, and I see that, I'm like, all right, well, my hand needs to be here to make a spin like that instead of here. That type of thing, and you see results kind of right away. So it's that type of stuff that kind of you know, relates to me. And I've been able to kind of put it into uh you know, put it into play so to speak, you know, pretty quick and have those results. And you know, jtuh give all the credit to him. He does all the homework. I think you guys talked about this with him before, but.

00:10:33
Speaker 1: I really don't look at any video.

00:10:36
Speaker 5: I know guys from over the years what I've done to him to a certain extent. And then you know, I've gotten better as my careers went on of how to read hitters or situations or maybe what this guy's trying to do in this situation, that type of thing. And then Caleb in between innings we're all talking. I think he talks with JT and then he kind of comes down and gives me the game plan of how we're going to attack that in or a certain hitter when we get to him, that type of thing. Also, you know, JT does all the homework and I may shake him off once or twice a game.

00:11:08
Speaker 3: If that just a lot of trust in JT then right, I mean you.

00:11:12
Speaker 5: Yeah, tell him just call the pitch and I'll try to execute it. Right, that's our thing.

00:11:17
Speaker 3: And then a lot of trust in Caleb too.

00:11:18
Speaker 2: So like the previous two off seasons when you when you come to camp with the sweeper and then the next camp with the split, is that something that he goes, hey, I think this is something you should.

00:11:27
Speaker 3: Do or is this something you go hey, I feel like I need something else. How did those conversations?

00:11:33
Speaker 1: The slider was kind of.

00:11:35
Speaker 5: Struggling a little bit, like it kind of always has over the years, just not necessarily shape wise like shape.

00:11:43
Speaker 1: It could get a little bit better, but just stone at first, a good you know.

00:11:46
Speaker 5: Strike, it's always low, it's always a ball, and so I never got chases off of it and stuff like that. And I tend to throw like thigh up, so when I throw something low, they really don't even go after it. So Caleb just kind of came to me, this is the kind of the new thing going around. And he was a Bower in Cincinnati, and Bower kind of started the whole uh you know, sweeper face, so you know, he introduced it to me. I tried a few different grips and I found one that kind of mimiced my curveball, just the hair. So I was comfortable with the grip. I just had to change my angle a little bit more. And you know, once you start playing around with that angle kind of messes with your fastball a little bit. So I kind of had to go back and forth in between starts and starts was this, some starts as that, and then the split.

00:12:31
Speaker 1: We talked about it during the off season. I need I need something that.

00:12:34
Speaker 3: Goes to show sweeper, sweeper, and then like.

00:12:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, so the sweeper.

00:12:41
Speaker 5: I basically just hooked that scene right there, and I try to make this the horseshoe right here or the train tracks wherever we will call it. Kind of just keep going that way. That's my thought on it. Now, keep the keep it going.

00:12:55
Speaker 3: Okay.

00:12:57
Speaker 5: I don't know if that's technically right, but that's that's my mindset and that's what helps me. So I just gotta make sure I don't start doing that and trying to make it go. I got to keep my arm up because that's where my fastball is and just trust it and throw it.

00:13:09
Speaker 1: And then to split, we tried a few different ones.

00:13:13
Speaker 5: And before I was kind of just like a normal split like that my fingers down on the side. But then I started going up with my other fingers for whatever reason, it's more comfortable, and I started hooking that seem a little bit interesting. My thumb's just there just I basically don't even use my thumb, but my thumbs just there for a little bit of.

00:13:34
Speaker 1: Brace on that side. So just throw it, throw it like a fastball.

00:13:38
Speaker 3: What do you consider your bread and butter fastball.

00:13:43
Speaker 1: Both.

00:13:44
Speaker 5: I can usually throw my sinker whenever I want, and it's gonna be there.

00:13:48
Speaker 1: Certain days you know you're not just gonna have it.

00:13:50
Speaker 5: But most of the time you have your fastball. Maybe it's not location that day. Maybe sometimes other teams just whacking it, like help. It happening a couple of times last year and kind of get lost when that happens. But you know that's that's when you got to kind of shift the game plan and try to do something a little different.

00:14:06
Speaker 3: Maybe, Yeah, how often does that happen?

00:14:08
Speaker 4: You have a game plan, you know that the other team your face and you know their hitters. You warm up in the bullpen, you come out and you're on the rubber in the game and you just trash it off because something's not working or something is really that you didn't expect to work is working.

00:14:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was like kind of last year.

00:14:20
Speaker 5: I go back to Baltimore game, I felt great, fastball was flying good, I was hitting my spots for the most part, and they're just whacking it. So it kind of goes to like, all right, do they have something or are they just hitting it that day, Sometimes you got to give the other team credit, and it's hard to do as a pitcher, but I've learned that over the years. You know, you don't like it when you're out there, but after the game, you're like, oh, either they had something or you just got to give them credit, you know, and kind of went back and I don't think they had anything, but you just move on.

00:14:50
Speaker 2: How do you handle like, like frustration on the mound. You make a great pitch, they flare one, two runs score, you lose the lead in the seventh inning.

00:14:59
Speaker 3: How do you refok on the next step bad?

00:15:01
Speaker 2: Is that something that you've always been able to do or is that something you had to work on. Is there like a trigger for you to kind of to kind of resettle so you don't ye spiral on you?

00:15:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean just kind of growing up.

00:15:13
Speaker 5: You know, my brother played a little bit of pro Bowl in the minor leagues, and my dad coached and played, so they kind of just had that mindset of, you know, never show up your teammates. If something happens bad, you just get right back on the rubber and try to make your pitch and kind of.

00:15:30
Speaker 1: Just shut it all down.

00:15:31
Speaker 5: So that's That's why I always say, you know, when Smoke gets on second base, I really lock it in, and you know, that's the golden not to like the guys score, but that's that's my mindset, and that's when you really bear down try to make those pitches.

00:15:43
Speaker 4: You are kind of one of the leaders of a dying breed, the two hundred inning workhorse, and you got to two hundred last year. I think you got to two hundred and thirteen in what twenty one. How important is that mile post for you?

00:15:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's important.

00:16:00
Speaker 5: You know, as a starting staff, especially me and Knowles, we try to you know, all right, well, we got to get two hundred innings and two hundred strikeouts.

00:16:07
Speaker 1: That's the goal.

00:16:07
Speaker 5: And you know, if you're doing that, you're probably helping the team, and you're definitely helping the bullpen. So if we're able to go out there and give good quality innings.

00:16:17
Speaker 1: Late, that's a big plus.

00:16:19
Speaker 5: If we're going out there and getting shelled in the sixth, seventh, eighth, then this kind of you know, it's not really worth it. But if we're going out there and doing well for the most part later in the game, then you know, it definitely helps the team down the stretch and the playoffs when it really matters, and let's try to keep those guts fresh off there.

00:16:36
Speaker 2: I was gonna say, we've talked a lot that you really do rhind us of like guys like Roy Halladay just on the super aggressive or not wasting pitches. You're not messing around out there. And one of the things with Roy was that he did not like people coming into mound. And I'm sure he heard like JT says, like we when I go to the mound, it's Tulip said the same thing. He said there was a game in Cincinnati where you almost maybe a stare kept them in the dugout. I don't know, but can you speak to that, that that mentality you have on the mound, just being aggressive and just you know, the mound is yours.

00:17:06
Speaker 5: And it's not even the mound as mine. You know, when they're coming out there, it's usually because something bad has happened or they need to slow things down.

00:17:19
Speaker 1: And sometimes I like it, you know, I need to.

00:17:21
Speaker 5: I need a breath every once in a while, and right especially during the hot days or whatever it may be, middle of the summer, you didn't you need a little breather.

00:17:28
Speaker 1: But sometimes you're just you're very mad out there.

00:17:32
Speaker 5: I might not show it, but you know you're pretty angry because something bad is happening. And then you know, they come strolling out there, and you know they try to ask you questions, but you're still fuman on what happened. So it's kind of hard to have a conversation with them. But usually, you know, they just come out there and Caleb just ask us questions or gives me a little pointer here and there, you know, maybe stay back or you're flying open a little bit, that type of thing, so you know they're just trying to help Zach.

00:17:57
Speaker 4: We've got Andrew Painter here in camp, and a lot of it about that young man, and you were in his shoes one day, number one first round pick with the Mets. Any advice that you can give him or what would be the best advice you could give him? And who was the guy who gave you advice on the way up?

00:18:16
Speaker 1: I mean, it's tough to say.

00:18:17
Speaker 5: You know, I didn't go to many big league camps before I went to the big league camp and was in the big leagues, so I didn't really have, you know, people that kind of go off of. You know, I have some good pitching coaches along the way. Steve Pine my first year in pro ball, low A down in Augusta. He he helped me out a lot. You know, he wasn't necessarily helping with the pitching aspect, at least with me. You know, mechanics stuff, but you know what to expect, how to act like a big league and all that. You know, he pitched a long time as a reliever in the big big so yeah, so he had you know, he's been there, done that, and he helped me out with that type of stuff. But once you got up, you know, you're in New York and it was me and Harvey and then you know, other guys coming up, and you didn't want to get lost, so you're trying to really concentrate and you know, be somebody, and you know, I think that's what kind of pushed me also, right, So.

00:19:14
Speaker 2: Do you think, yeah, three years, this is your new contract. What are the odds that at the end of year three, if you're healthy and pitching really well, you're going you know what, maybe I keep it going because I know you've said this is probably it if you have.

00:19:29
Speaker 3: Thought about it, that I was not just waiting far.

00:19:31
Speaker 1: Away, just far away.

00:19:32
Speaker 5: But I'm pretty sure I'm done after this, but you know, time will tell, and who knows. I never want to say never, but more than likely I'll probably be done after this. That was kind of the the goal.

00:19:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, just because I mean, family time is so important, you so much as I.

00:19:46
Speaker 5: Got, you know, four kids and my awesome wife, and I want to spend time with them too.

00:19:53
Speaker 3: You just saw the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

00:19:54
Speaker 4: Can you fantasize what it would be like to win a World Series in Philadelphia?

00:19:58
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:19:59
Speaker 5: I mean, you know a few years ago with them also, and uh, you know, we wanna we want to get there. We wanna, like Harper always says, had that parade down Broad Street and just have people celebrate us and uh, you know, let the city enjoy it.

00:20:11
Speaker 2: They'd like to enjoy, uh championships there do you? Uh you mentioned four kids. They're gonna start playing ball, imagine right, t ball? Maybe at some point maybe just let them let them find out if they would. I asked you this a couple of years ago, like before the Little League Classic, and like Little League season is starting, what would your advice be to like parents who are trying to teach the kids how to throw a baseball.

00:20:34
Speaker 3: I don't know if you remember what you told me, but you're a lesson.

00:20:38
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's probably you know, just figure out how to throw the baseball properly to help protect your arm. And in literally you're just there having fun. You're not trying to You're always trying to win games, but you're also having fun.

00:20:51
Speaker 1: At the little league level.

00:20:53
Speaker 5: I mean, it's it's all fun and games there and you're learning how to play the game, learning how to play it right, and learning your body and that type of thing. So, you know, just just trying to keep your arm healthy and not overdo it and get burnt out.

00:21:07
Speaker 3: It's great stuff, Sach, Zach, thanks a lot, man. We appreciate the time fun.

00:21:10
Speaker 1: Thanks for having me.

00:21:12
Speaker 3: Man, that was great. I loved it. Jim, what you think. I thought it was great too.

00:21:16
Speaker 4: I go back to what I heard Dan please Sach say on the MLB Network a few weeks ago. He called Zach Wheeler the perfect picture. So that was a nice little glimpse into the mind of the perfect picture. And I love that he showed us those grips. I'm gonna go home and try them in the backyard.

00:21:33
Speaker 3: I am too.

00:21:34
Speaker 2: I'm gonna see if I can teach everybody in my son's little leg how to throw like a good, good, nasty sweeper.

00:21:39
Speaker 3: What do you think, Yeah, bring that's that's not advised.

00:21:41
Speaker 4: Bring that sweeper to the what is it, the Marple Newton.

00:21:44
Speaker 3: Little League exactly. So you know, I will say this.

00:21:47
Speaker 2: One thing that Zach did tell me a few years ago is he said, tell kids, when their hands are small, three fingered, four seam grip until their hands get big. So three fingered, four seam grip. Zach Wheeler, thanks again, and that was a lot of fun. We'll be back next week. Jimmy, I'll smell you later, Bud, smell you guys. The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, Follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Rubens analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four, WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network. Find Jim at all phl y dot com. Find me at MLB dot com, The Phillies Beat newsletter, and MLB Network