Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber named to NL All-Star team; Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola snubbed
Despite their work in getting the Phillies over .500, neither Zack Wheeler nor Aaron Nola were named to the All-Star game.
ST. LOUIS — If the Phillies are able to finally make the playoffs, they would pose a credible threat in a short series because of the two dominant pitchers atop their starting rotation.
Yet somehow neither Zack Wheeler nor Aaron Nola was named a National League All-Star.
There’s still time for either pitcher to be added as a replacement. But when the rosters were announced Sunday, Kyle Schwarber was the lone Phillies player chosen to join Bryce Harper, who was voted in by the fans as the NL’s designated hitter but won’t play in or travel to the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium because of a fractured left thumb.
» READ MORE: How the Phillies have turned around their maligned bullpen by emphasizing specific pitches
“It would’ve been a privilege, but it is what it is,” said Wheeler, whose body language indicated disappointment as he walked out of the clubhouse at Busch Stadium after a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. “I don’t care. I’ll spend time with my family.”
Asked if he would accept a fill-in spot for a pitcher who is injured or unable to pitch after starting Sunday, Wheeler said, “I wasn’t chosen. It is what it is.”
Schwarber, an All-Star for the second year in a row, has powered the Phillies back into playoff contention over the last six weeks. Including his solo home run in the fifth inning Sunday, he leads the NL with 28 dingers, 18 of which have come since Memorial Day.
The popular slugger was selected by his peers in player balloting, finishing fourth among all reserves.
“It’s definitely an honor to be there and represent the Phillies,” Schwarber said. “It [stinks] that Harp won’t be able to play. Hopefully I can represent the Phillies very well.”
Schwarber said he’s “up in the air” about whether he will compete in the Home Run Derby. He finished as the runner-up to Harper in the 2018 derby, an experience that he has called “a bucket list thing.”
Major League Baseball almost certainly will ask Schwarber to compete again. New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, also named as an All-Star reserve, has won the last two derbies. Schwarber said he expects to make a decision within the next few days.
“I’d probably say 50-50 right now,” Schwarber said. “It’s more seeing how my body is right now. It’s definitely something that you want to attend. I’ve done it once. It’s fun, but it’s also taxing. You weigh out the pros and cons.”
Schwarber attended last year’s All-Star Game despite being injured and unable to play. Harper said Friday that he won’t go to Dodger Stadium because he doesn’t want to disrupt his recovery after July 6 thumb surgery.
Six weeks ago, Schwarber would have been a long shot for All-Star consideration. Through the end of May, he was batting .185 with 11 homers and a .721 on-base plus slugging. Since then, he’s batting .270 with 17 homers and a 1.037 OPS.
“I think it could’ve been better for myself,” Schwarber said of his first half. “I wish I didn’t get off to that slow start. But I look at my coaching staff, with [hitting coach Kevin Long and Jason Camilli), you look at [interim manager Rob Thomson], I wouldn’t be here without dudes around me. They’re pushing to get the best out of me.”
» READ MORE: The legend of Kyle Schwarber’s home run power, from high school and college to the Phillies
The omissions of Wheeler and Nola, at least for now, were glaring, even in a deep field of NL starting pitchers.
Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), Max Fried (Braves), Corbin Burnes (Brewers), Tony Gonsolin (Dodgers), and Joe Musgrove (Padres) were selected in player balloting. Relief pitchers Josh Hader (Brewers), Edwin Díaz (Mets), and Ryan Helsley (Cardinals) were also chosen by the players.
With every team needing to be represented, MLB filled the final six spots on the NL roster with Reds starter Luis Castillo, Pirates closer David Bednar, and Diamondbacks lefty reliever Joe Mantiply. Longtime Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was also named to the team despite making only 11 starts, five fewer than Wheeler.
Wheeler struggled in his first three starts after not facing major league hitters in spring training. But he has a 1.53 ERA since April 24, the lowest mark among 140 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in that span. His last two starts — back-to-back seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals — should have clinched his spot and likely would have if St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol was filling out the roster.
But Wheeler also probably shouldn’t book vacation plans yet. Last year, four pitchers on the initial All-Star roster wound up being replaced either because they were injured or they started the final game before the All-Star break.
Nola is lined up to do that for the Phillies next Sunday in Miami. His All-Star case wasn’t as airtight as Wheeler’s, either. But Nola has a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts and ranked third in the league entering Sunday with 120 strikeouts.
“I think that there’s a lot more All-Stars in this room that are very deserving of it,” Schwarber said, citing Wheeler, Nola, reliever Seranthony Domínguez, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins. “It’s kind of a shame. Hopefully these guys can get in some way.”