Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler fell just short of winning his first career Cy Young Award on Wednesday.
Phillies’ Zack Wheeler finishes second to Braves ace Chris Sale in NL Cy Young race
Per CBS News’ Tom Ignudo, the MLB announced Atlanta Braves superstar Chris Sale as the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner. Sale finished with 26 first-place votes and four second-place votes for a total score of 198 points. Wheeler finished second in the race with four first-place tallies and 25 second-place nods for 130 points.
Phillies: Wheeler’s superb season fell short of Sale’s Triple Crown campaign
The Phillies’ talent was superb last season, but Sale was rewarded for unparalleled play. The Braves’ leader on the hill led the entire Major Leagues in ERA (2.38) on his way to winning the Triple Crown. He also finished tied for the league lead in wins (18) with unanimous American League Cy Young honoree Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.
Respective to the National League, Wheeler’s potent 224 strikeouts and 16 wins were only bested by Atlanta’s eight-time All-Star on the campaign. He did get the better of Sale with his NL-leading 0.955 WHIP compared to the latter’s 1.013 marker, but voters deemed Sale to have been the top dog on the mound in the NL for 2024.
Wheeler will gun for Cy Young honors in 2025
Wheeler will look to continue his excellent play in 2025 for the Phillies as he approaches his age-35 season. This marked the third time that the Georgia native has finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting. He also came dangerously close to winning in 2021 with his first second-place finish of his career. Wheeler will aim to make 2025 the year he finally takes home top honors.