PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler is having arguably the best season of his decade-long career, leading the Phillies to their third consecutive postseason berth.
When asked if the possibility of facing his former team in the playoffs would make October even more enjoyable, Wheeler said he's focused on other things, not the Mets.
“Our ultimate goal is just to win,” Wheeler said Friday before the Mets' 11-3 thumping of the Phillies in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park. “It doesn't matter who we're playing.”
Wheeler spent his first six years in the big leagues with the Mets, pitching well in 2018 and 2019 before moving to Philadelphia as a free agent without receiving an offer from his former team.
The decision worked out well for Wheeler and the Phillies, and the 34-year-old isn't looking back.
“There's a lot of turnover,” Wheeler said of the Mets, who have undergone several changes since he left. “We don't have many of the same players anymore.”
That's part of the reason the right-hander holds no ill will toward his former team.
“I’ve never held a grudge,” Wheeler said. “Baseball is a business, I’ve learned that over the years, especially after being traded. [from the Giants to the Mets in the Carlos Beltran deal] In 2011.”
For now, Wheeler and the Phillies are looking to win their first division title since 2011 to put themselves in the best possible position for the postseason.
“Obviously we want to play at home because it's tough for teams to play here, but we don't care where we play,” Wheeler said. “We just want to keep winning.”
The Mets will be without Wheeler for this series, which is a good thing for them: Wheeler is 5-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his past eight starts and is in the running to win the National League Cy Young Award with Atlanta's Chris Sale.
