This year? They’re sending two.
No Bryce Harper. No Trea Turner. No Ranger Suárez. No Alec Bohm. No starters. Just Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber hopping a flight to Atlanta. That’s it.
And yet—those two? They might just steal the whole show.
Let’s start with Wheeler. He’s not just an All-Star. He’s the All-Star coming home. Born in Smyrna, Georgia. Raised 15 miles from Truist Park. And now, with the All-Star Game in his backyard, he’s got a front-row case to start it.
He didn’t exactly whisper his pitch last week. On Sunday, Wheeler tossed a complete-game, one-hit masterpiece against the Reds—twelve strikeouts, zero walks, and 108 pitches of Cy Young theater. It was his best start of the season. It may have been the best start in baseball this season.
Four days earlier, he was named National League Pitcher of the Month for June. Then came the news. Third All-Star nod. Another notch alongside 2021 and 2024. But this one hits different.
“It’s an honor,” Rob Thomson said. “It’s tough to pitch in this league, or play in this league, and it’s even tougher making an All-Star team. I know it’s an honor for the players so it’s a big honor for me to let them know.”
Wheeler’s numbers look like they’ve been Photoshopped. He’s 9-3. His ERA is 2.17. He’s fanned 148 hitters in 116 innings. Opponents are batting .177 off him. His WHIP? Try 0.84. In a year without a runaway ace, he may be the ace.
So yes, if the NL is hunting for someone to hand the ball to on Tuesday night in Atlanta, well … he’s already there.
As for Schwarber? He’s back. His third All-Star Game, joining 2021 and 2022. He won’t be in the Home Run Derby this year—but don’t worry, he’s still bringing the boom.
He leads the Phillies in homers (27) and RBIs (63), and he’s doing it with a .251 average and 64 walks. On Sunday, with the game tied, two outs, fifth inning—he lasered a double to right-center that flipped the score. That’s Schwarberball. Power. Patience. Production.
“He does a lot of things for this club other than slugging and getting on base,” Thomson said. “He’s a great teammate, great in the clubhouse, one of the team leaders. I love all these guys. I love Schwarb. I’m just really happy for both those guys.”
And yet…
It’s hard not to glance at the roster and raise an eyebrow or two. Ranger Suárez? He’s 7-2 with a 1.99 ERA. He’s allowed more than two earned runs exactly once all season. He was limited Saturday due to some shoulder and back tightness, but even on a pitch count, he gave up one run in five innings.
Cristopher Sánchez? He’s 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA, throwing quality start after quality start. He’s slated to pitch Sunday, which likely knocks him out of All-Star consideration—even if his numbers say otherwise.
Then there’s Trea Turner. Batting .299. Leading the National League in hits (109). Eleven home runs. Sixty-one runs scored. Twenty-two stolen bases. He’s been the most consistent Phillies hitter not named Schwarber. And he’s not going to Atlanta—at least, not yet.
We’ve seen this script before. Just last year, Sánchez was a late addition to the All-Star squad when Wheeler and Suárez opted out. These things change. Replacements happen. Injuries pop up. And suddenly, that short list of two might grow.
But for now, it’s Wheeler and Schwarber—and a long list of snubs.
The 2024 All-Star Game saw the Phillies send an octet. Three starters. A red wave. This year, the headcount shrunk. But the impact? Still loud.
Wheeler might start the All-Star Game in his home state. Schwarber might take one into orbit. There may not be eight Phillies this time, but the two that made it? They’re more than capable of reminding the league what this roster’s built of.
Pass on the Derby
Kyle Schwarber, a two-time participant in the Home Run Derby, has decided to sit this one out.
“I’m not going to do the Home Run Derby,” Schwarber said Sunday. “Maybe see what happens next year.”
That “next year” comes with a twist. The 2026 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are coming to Philadelphia, set for Citizens Bank Park. But whether Schwarber will be back in a Phillies uniform by then remains to be seen. He’s in the final season of a four-year contract and is eligible for free agency this offseason.
