Zach Wheeler (9 strikeouts and 1 self-blame) dedicated Father's Day to a good vote The Phillies swept the Blue Jays to the end

Zack Wheeler has undergone a dramatic change over the past two weeks with the birth of his fourth child, but one thing hasn't changed: he's still one of MLB's top pitchers.

The Phillies completed their home sweep with an 11-4 win over the Blue Jays today, and Wheeler proved that again on Father's Day (less than two weeks before the arrival of the newborn on June 2) with nine strikeouts in six games and only one self-blame point (two points out of total).

Despite the upheaval of life, Wheeler remained true to his principles: focus on baseball on the field and care for his family when he left the field — no distractions.

When asked if Father's Day was more meaningful, his answer was succinct and expected: "To be honest, I didn't know it was Father's Day." "It's understandable that the father of the newborn didn't check the calendar, but that doesn't detract from the special value of the Phillies at the moment—the family grew from husband and wife to a family of six during his Philadelphia career.

"The kids are always on the minds when they get on the board," Wheeler admits, "so I try to please them and share the joy with the results." "

2020 Season: Debuts in Philadelphia just days after the birth of the eldest son
Two weeks before Father's Day 2022: The second son is born
February 2023: Birth of three sons (just days before signing a three-year, $126 million extension)
June 2, 2025: The arrival of the four sons

"It's been a wonderful journey from being alone to being accompanied by a wife to having four sons around your knees," Wheeler said.

Had it not been for the bad luck of the fifth game, Wheeler's performance might have been even more dazzling: Otto Kemp failed to complete the containment, and Birdan + took advantage of the pass to score two points (one self-blame). Wheeler then went up and down three times in six innings, and was originally scheduled to renew his seventh inning, but his teammates had a single-season high of 11 points and 18 amps of firepower (including Kemp's five 4-3s and two dozens, Alec Bohm's two hits and five innings and two shots, and Nick Castellanos' six-inning slam shot).

"The Father's Day slam is a lifetime to remember," said Castellanos, who welcomed his three sons last month. By the time the Phillies led 10-2 at the end of the six-inning, Wheeler had rested for more than 20 minutes.

So his next appearance will be at home to the New York Mets at the top of the National East Conference on Saturday. At a time when the Phillies are desperate for points in the race for back-to-back championships, Wheeler is the obvious choice — albeit with the team's more ambitious goals.

"The Celerian Award is a year-over-year goal," Wheeler explains, "because if it happens, it means pitching at the level of the ultimate goal: a World Series championship." "The Philadelphia career has made Celence's dream more and more real: the Mets have not been voted for for five years, won the vote when they changed teams in 2020, won the second place in the National League in 2021/2024, and finished sixth in 2023.

With 7 wins and 2 losses this season, with a 2.76 ERA score, 110 strikeouts and 0.89 WHIP, Wheeler is at the top of the race with pirate ace Paul Skenes. "There are only two things a pitcher wants in his life: to win the Young, and the team to win the World Series. The latter is the meaning of the conquest. "