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Zack Wheeler 2025 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Ace Aims For Another Consistently Elite Campaign
1 month agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is typically the third arm to go in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts after an exceptional age-34 campaign. He hit exactly 200 innings with 224 strikeouts, a 2.57 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP rooted in a .246 BABIP that's 44 points below his career mark. But Statcast did back up the outlier with a career-best .197 expected batting average, which is about 30 points below his norm. Wheeler eased off on his cutter and started utilizing a splitter against left-handed bats. The right-hander also led the league with 26 quality starts, which is four more than anyone else. He won't need a WHIP below 1.00 to make him worthy of the second-round ADP because his high floor and consistency seal his value. Though his FIP was nearly identical between 2023 and 2024, his SIERA did drop 20 points (3.53 to 3.32) and his xERA fell nearly 40 points, going from 3.18 to 2.80. Those bullish on Wheeler should still expect some middle ground between '23 and '24, such as his early 3.26 ERA/1.07 WHIP ATC projections, which still results in a strong SP1 profile. He'll also be supported by a robust bullpen that should convert those QS into wins.
