Zack Wheeler will take the ball for the Phillies on Saturday as the Game 1 starter, leading the charge into the postseason.
If he seems more focused, more intense, it’s easy to understand why.
But ask J.T. Realmuto, and he’ll tell you something different.
If he seems more focused, more intense, it’s easy to understand why.
But ask J.T. Realmuto, and he’ll tell you something different.
“Calm, honestly,” Realmuto said Friday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. “I think Zack doesn’t even — talking to him in meetings before every single game, sometimes it looks like he’s actually about to fall asleep, and this is like an hour before the game. He’s just that calm. It’s almost like he’s — I don’t know if he is or not — but it almost seems like he’s meditating. He’s just laying there listening and focusing, it seems like. He never really seems nervous to me.”
Wheeler wrapped up another standout season, positioning himself as a contender for his first NL Cy Young Award. Even if he falls short to Atlanta’s Chris Sale, he could still finish second for the second time in four years. Since joining the Phillies, Wheeler has posted a stellar 59-32 record with a 2.94 ERA in 133 starts. However, postseason pressure is an entirely different test, but Wheeler thrives under it. In his last two postseasons, he's gone 4-3 with a 2.42 ERA over 11 appearances (10 starts).
Saturday’s start will be Wheeler’s fifth in a Game 1 of a postseason series. He’s 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA in the previous four. In those outings, covering 25 1/3 innings, he’s allowed just 11 hits, three runs, two walks, and struck out 28.
“I just think he’s a competitor,” Realmuto added. “All season long he’s extremely consistent for us. He goes out there every day and gives us a chance to win. I think there’s something about him in the postseason where he enjoys rising to the occasion. He really enjoys being that guy for us that we all look to and we all count on. I just think there’s a little more intensity in him when it comes to the postseason, and that’s saying a lot for somebody who’s clearly intense all season long.”
Across the field, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza threw a late twist into the mix. Right-hander Kodai Senga, who’s made just one start this season, will take the ball for New York in Game 1.
Senga, the Mets’ presumed ace entering the season, has dealt with injuries, beginning the year on the injured list with a right shoulder capsule strain. After one start in July, he landed back on the IL with a left calf strain. However, Senga has been rehabbing in Port St. Lucie, and he recently expressed a desire to pitch in the series.
“What made us feel comfortable with this decision was that he was the one wanting the baseball,” Mendoza said. “I think the only time we had that situation was when he faced the Braves, the only outing he had this year before he went down again. Very comfortable and excited to watch him pitch tomorrow.”
Initially, the expectation was that the Mets would turn to right-hander Tylor Megill for Game 1.
Depending on Senga's outing, the Phillies could still see Megill, lefty David Peterson, and others out of the bullpen.
“He’s been building up in Florida,” Mendoza added. “Like I said, we have an idea, but we’re gonna let the game unfold and we’ll make adjustments as we go.”
Senga’s track record against the Phillies is limited but impressive. In two career starts, he has a 1.46 ERA over 12 1/3 innings, including a dominant performance on May 30, 2023, where he struck out nine over seven innings at Citi Field.
Mendoza also confirmed that right-hander Luis Severino will start Game 2 for New York.