Zack Wheeler’s All-Star snub even has Phillies NL East rival calling it out

With the talk around Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler and the All-Star Game, it’s an interesting situation, as many considered him to be a snub, though he later dismissed an invitation to be a replacement. As the drama ended with Wheeler declining the invitation to the All-Star Game, a rival player in the NL East stands behind the pitcher.

So far this season, coming off a significant injury, Wheeler has posted a 2.13 ERA to go along with 108 strikeouts and a 10-1 record in 15 games (93 innings). Wheeler initially called the snub “BS,” and after declining the All-Star invite as a replacement, the 36-year-old said the MLB “disrespected” him, according to The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes.

Atlanta Braves star pitcher Chris Sale calls his initial snub a “head scratcher” when on “Foul Territory.”

“I’d like to stay away from the drama as much as possible, but I like Zack [Wheeler] a lot,” Sale said. “I think he’s one of the best pitchers in our game. Especially coming back from the surgery he had,” Sale said. “I think if you just look at the stat line by itself, 10-1 with just over a two, punchouts are there, I think the innings are there. It’s a head scratcher, to say the least.”

Chris Sale says Zack Wheeler not making the All-Star team is a "head-scratcher, to say the least."

"His numbers are better than mine, and I'm sitting here. I'll leave it at that." pic.twitter.com/oKIJ63YoAx

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 13, 2026

Chris Sale compares his numbers to the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler

Sale would then talk about the issue of a pitcher’s schedule and how that could factor into the decision of Wheeler’s snub, but the Braves pitcher doesn’t agree with that line of thinking. He says that a player gets to be an All-Star with their numbers, going as far as to say that Wheeler’s statistics are better than his own, although he got the nod.

So far for Atlanta, Sale has recorded a 2.20 ERA with 117 strikeouts and a 9-6 record in 17 games (98 innings).

“Those are pretty good numbers. Yeah, those are better than my numbers, and I’m sitting here, so I’ll leave it at that,” Sale said.

At any rate, the talk of Wheeler’s snub will no doubt continue, though the pitcher looks to continue to help Philadelphia this season.

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