Braves’ Michael Harris II compares Phillies’ Zack Wheeler to Jacob deGrom
Wheeler and deGrom are former teammates with the Mets and close friends. "They kind of have the same stuff," Harris says.
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ATLANTA — A few hours before facing Zack Wheeler, Braves center fielder Michael Harris II paid the Phillies ace a major compliment.
”Honestly, I like to kind of compare him to [Jacob] deGrom,” Harris said Monday, a few hours before Game 2 of the National League Division Series. “They kind of have the same stuff, same effectiveness. He throws a good fastball, good slider, mixes pitches well, goes in and out, up and down. I guess it’s just finding that pitch to hit and not missing it.”
Wheeler and deGrom are former teammates with the Mets and close friends. Harris isn’t the first person to make the comparison. Early in the 2021 season, before Wheeler finished as runner-up for the Cy Young Award, former Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland likened him to deGrom for their similarly blazing fastballs and wipeout sliders.
”Listen, I’m not going to sit here and say anybody, pitch for pitch, is right there with Jake deGrom. That’s not fair,” Eiland said. “I’m not making the statement that Zack Wheeler’s just as good as Jake deGrom. What I am saying is, Zack’s starting to wander around that same neighborhood.”
Wheeler missed time with injuries with the Mets. But he often watched deGrom’s between-starts bullpen sessions, noting the way the two-time Cy Young winner “just pounds glove-side fastballs” to lock in his mechanics and maintain his command. Wheeler mimicked what he saw.
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Born a few miles from where Truist Park now stands, Wheeler, 33, was a touted high school pitcher in the Atlanta area. He has dominated his hometown team, especially since he joined the Phillies. Since 2020, he has a 2.41 ERA in seven regular-season starts and one postseason start at Truist Park.
”He’s one of those guys, I think that when he goes out there, he expects to throw the last pitch that their team does,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I mean, he’s one of the top pitchers in our game, and just a complete package.”