Phillies Mailbag: All-Star Break Edition

We are back with an All-Star Break edition of the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag.  Each week we take your questions and answer them on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill.  Tune in Tuesday afternoons to hear your questions answered on the air.

Are you satisfied with where the Phillies are at the break given where they've come?
~Ray

The Phillies head to the All-Star break 11 games over the .500 mark and two games out of first place in the National League East.  That's a far cry from the 10 games under .500 and 10.5 games out of first place.

So there's a Pennant Race in the National League East again.  And that is exciting.

Given the start,that the Phillies have been able to make this a race again is impressive.  That's not to say that the team does not have holes and that the team cannot do some things better.

The break will be good for the bullpen.  With the injury to Brad Keller and ineffectiveness of Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks, a strength became a weakness pretty quickly.

But Orion Kerkering and Jonathan Bowlan have exceeded expectations, so that takes some of the pressure off.

The Phillies hopefully will be able to set up their bullpen after the break.

I would check in on lefty Danny Coloumbe, recently designated for assignment by the Red Sox.  His 4.50 ERA is not exciting, but he was particularly strong in Minnesota last season setting up Jhoan Duran up until the trade deadline.

Adding Coloumbe would give the Phillies a look before the trade deadline.  Pending contract bonus triggers helped the Red Sox make the decision.  In a disappointing season, the Red Sox might be looking to save payroll now.

The need for a right-handed bat (or a lefty who can hit lefties) is there too.  The Phillies get by because they have a rotation with three All-Stars - I mean, two All-Stars and a snub.

I think the deadline will be what makes or breaks this Phillies team.  But given the start? The Phillies are in a good spot.

Why did Zack Wheeler decide not to participate in the All-Star Game after being upset he was not previously chosen?
~Nick

The Phillies have the starting pitcher in tonight's All-Star game.  They also have a pitcher with a better record and numbers on their team.  But they are not together.

Yes, Zack Wheeler is a really bad snub.  The original oversight, added to the fact that Wheeler started on Sunday left him out when he was most deserving.

I know some have faulted Wheeler for saying no to a last-minute invite.  But that deep into the process?

Wheeler said (via ESPN), "They disrespected me, so I'm just not going to participate in that thing."  He also said he was "not gonna be the fifth option."

There is probably the hurt feelings part of this, but also the practical part of this.

While continuing to be upset, Wheeler likely started to make his plans for this period of time.   And having the opportunity to pitch in the All-Star game means travel plans for family and friends.  After the initial snub, Wheeler could have made other plans for that period of time.

Canceling them now might not be that appealing, especially when he was snubbed to begin with.

No one wants to be an afterthought.  Jumping in at the last minute also means that Wheeler did not get the same opportunity as the others to build the excitement, make plans, etc.   A lot of that has been sullied.

So while his friends and teammates will be enjoying themselves in a special experience he really wished he had, it may simply not be that meaningful for him at this point, anyway.

And hopefully he will have a meaningful break with his family.

Would I like to see him there? Absolutely.  I'm sure he has people involved who want him there.  But it went off the rails from the beginning.

PS - I like watching an angry Zack Wheeler pitch.

Any concern that Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper's swings will be messed up from participating in the Home Run Derby?
~Dan

In a word: no.

The Phillies were lucky to have Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper as hometown representatives in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby.  And it was quite the contest, with the special magenta ball allowing Jordan Walker to edge Schwarber out at the end.

Phillies fans may remember Bobby Abreu's 2005 Home Run Derby victory.  Abreu hit 41 home runs to win the Derby.

But then? His production dropped from a .955 OPS before the Derby to .787 the rest of the way as the Phillies just missed the playoffs.

Here's why I'm not worried.

First, Harper's swings looked like his usual swings.  And while Harper has 20 home runs this season so far, I think that his swing is not one suited for this contest, as he does a lot of different things well at the plate.

Yes, Harper won the 2018 Derby.  But I saw Harper take his typical swings.

Also taking his typical swings was Schwarber.  Schwarber always hits home runs, right? So this contest suited him very well.

I think that we witnessed typical Schwarbombs.  Nothing that would make us worry about what happens next.

I think that overall it was a good event for the Philadelphia Phillies and for the City of Philadelphia.  And Schwarber and Harper will be ready to resume the second half of the season as their old selves.