The Wheels Have Screeched

The speculation has ended. Zack Wheeler is done for 2018.

Mickey Callaway: Zack Wheeler has indeed been shut down.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 19, 2018

Not an injury issue as to why Zack Wheeler is being shut down but because of innings pitched. Wheeler says he physically feels fine.

— Justine Fernandez (@JustineBWard) September 19, 2018

No need to be anything but prudent in this case, especially when you have Corey Oswalt ready to make a couple of starts. And full marks to Wheeler for doing what I didn’t think possible for a guy with as many injury issues as he … and that’s becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball if only for a couple of months. That’s something he could always say when it’s all said and done.

Since Wheeler got waxed against the Blue Jays in June, he’s put up a 2.62 ERA in 22 starts, striking out 141 in 144 and a third innings, giving up a .209 BA and a .558 OPS. It’s what we all expected when the Mets got him from San Francisco for Carlos Beltran, and it’s what many Mets fans still expected after missing two full seasons to injury, continuing to refer to him as one of the “five aces”, which was always infuriating to me for various reasons, one of which being that not many pitchers would be thought of as a viable option after two full years gone to injury,

But Zack has proven worthy of the continued belief in him, and no longer is he one of the overrated ones. His talent has finally been matched by his performance, and he deserves a ton of credit for it, and for always maintaining the work ethic to give himself a chance. Mickey Callaway and Dave Eiland deserve some credit for his renaissance as well, as does Jacob deGrom for providing a good example for him to follow.

We can only hope it continues into next season, and that the Mets give him and the rest of the starters enough support to get them (and more importantly the team) some wins. But for now, we bid adieu until February in Port St. Lucie.