The Philadelphia Phillies might need their ace’s services for a couple more years, but he seems to plan differently.
At 35 years of age, the Phillies’ superstar Zack Wheeler recently shared that he plans to retire after the 2027 season. It’s a little surprising to hear, but it’s definitely something that’s catching the attention of baseball fans everywhere.
Wheeler is still firmly in his prime, and while retirement might seem far off, it’s always interesting to think about what his legacy will look like as he heads toward that date. After all, he’s been having an amazing few years.
Zack Wheeler plans to retire after the 2027 season, when he'll be 37 years old @Cherry_Pins pic.twitter.com/1FfOljlVOs
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 15, 2025
There’s a good chance that a lot of fans feel he’s a bit younger than 35 because he hasn’t really shown any signs of slowing down yet.
Career-wise, the Phillies star has put together a solid resume with 109 wins, a 3.31 ERA, and 1,726 strikeouts in just over 1,660 innings pitched. Plus, he’s had some impressive moments in the postseason, boasting a sparkling 2.18 ERA in those games.
Is Zack Wheeler Making A Case For Phillies Hall of Famer?
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While there are obviously a couple of good years left in the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler, does he have a chance for the Hall of Fame?
However, when it comes to the feat, Wheeler does face some hurdles. He hasn’t claimed a Cy Young award yet, and while his numbers are good, they fall a bit short of the typical benchmarks many voters consider.
Sure, he’ll likely finish with fewer than 200 wins, and that might surprise some traditionalists.
In many ways, Zack Wheeler has quite literally had half the career that Justin Verlander has.
— Louis Addeo-Weiss (@addeo_louis00) June 11, 2025
Verlander-Wheeler
– IP: 3467.2-v-1660.2
– ERA: 3.31-v-3.31
– RA9: 3.584-v-3.583
– K: 3457-v-1726
– FIP: 3.44-v-3.3
– H9: 7.7-v-7.6
– SO/BB: 3.55-v-3.63
– WAR: 80.5-v-37.9 pic.twitter.com/q8KQp37IP7
Interestingly, some of his statistical comparisons put him alongside names like Aaron Nola and Corey Kluber. They are all solid players, but don’t have a place in Cooperstown just yet.
Currently, Wheeler is sitting at 184th in the JAWS rankings, which isn’t exactly Hall of Fame territory.
But if he can avoid injury and continue pitching well, he has a real chance for the HOF before he calls it quits after 2027. He only needs about 340 more innings to hit the 2,000-mark, considering his average over the last few seasons.
And that’s very achievable. He should also surpass 2,000 strikeouts fairly soon.
Also Read: 3 Overpaid MLB NL East Players That Need To Go & The Phillies Need To Act Fast
