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So far this season, Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and young Pittsburgh Pirates prodigy Paul Skenes have been two of the best starting pitchers in the NL, if not the majors as a whole.
Having won the prestigious NL Rookie of the Year award after a fantastic first season and seemingly improving further this year, Skenes is perhaps the most popular choice to start for the NL when the All-Star game comes around in mid-July.
According to Phillies insider Todd Zolecki, however, Zack Wheeler also has quite a compelling case to be chosen as the starter ahead of Skenes. Having enjoyed a great year himself, Wheeler also hails from the city of Smyrna, which is about a 15-minute drive from Truist Park, where the 2025 All-Star game will be held.
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"Paul Skenes has had a great year, but Zack Wheeler's on a first-place team, with also Cy Young-caliber numbers, and he's from Atlanta [where the All-Star game is taking place]. I think it would make a lot of sense [for Wheeler to start the game]," Zolecki said, via 'The Phillies Show' on Wednesday.
Agreeing with Zolecki's argument, fellow insider Jim Salisbury added how giving Wheeler the start may be the perfect 'storyline' for the league to cash in on.
"If you're looking to capitalize [on the occasion] and get buzz and pop, Skenes is a pretty good place to go too, but the romantic in me would like to start Zack Wheeler start a couple miles from where he played Little League," Salisbury added
Both Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes shone in their latest outings this week
With the All-Star game inching ever closer, it appears the two favorites to start for the NL are set on bringing their A-game.
Taking the mound in the Phillies' home series opener against the San Diego Padres on Monday, Zack Wheeler was at his dominant best, pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out 10 in the process, leading to a comfortable 4-0 win for his team.
Paul Skenes, on the other hand, featured for the Pirates on Tuesday. Pitching five scoreless innings and striking out five against the St. Louis Cardinals, Skenes helped his team to a narrow 1-0 win.
If both aces continue pitching like this in the weeks leading up to the mid-season classic, NL manager Dave Roberts' will have a very difficult time choosing his starter.
