Aug 20, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Sale probably has the edge over Zack Wheeler in this year's NL Cy Young race. Sale currently leads the league in wins (17), ERA (2.35), and strikeouts (219) among qualified starting pitchers, and for many voters the analysis ends there.
Wheeler, however, is very close to Sale in each of those categories: 16 wins (2nd place), 2.56 ERA (2nd place), and 205 strikeouts (3rd place). And Wheels bests Sale in innings pitched (186.2 to 172.2), WHIP (0.95 to 1.00), and batting average against (.191 to .215). Anthony recently conducted an excellent deep dive into the numbers and made a strong case for a Wheeler Cy Young.
Two fantastic pitchers having Cy Young-caliber seasons. Bryce Harper had this to say on Tuesday night, after Wheeler allowed one run in seven innings:
Bryce Harper on Zack Wheeler:
"He's the Cy Young. I don't care what anybody says. I don't care what the numbers look like. He's the Cy Young. He's the best in baseball, man" pic.twitter.com/AddCiRmjk1
Makes sense. Harper and Wheeler have been teammates for years, Wheeler is a legitimate Cy Young contender, and Harp backed up his guy.
Harmless, right?
Well. Not if you're a Braves fan, caught up in your feelings as Atlanta's season slips away. Apparently, it's time to lose your shit.
Let's check in on some on the reactions from our friends down south:
We'll start with one reasonable take, just to show that not all Braves fans engage in this unhinged behavior.
doesn't surprise me one bit, of course he's gonna back his guy. Most players would do that for their teammate in this discussion.
And now, the good stuff:
He just proved something I’ve known for years, Bryce Harper doesn’t know ball.
Brain rot from being in that shithole town
— Young Thick Austin Riley (@YoungThickAR) September 19, 2024
(These tomahawk-chopping goons are not particularly concerned about problematic words. Shocking, I know.)
Smoking crack
Hey um... @BeaneaterB what world is this no ring clown living in https://t.co/H3KX6hwgC9
Retard alert https://t.co/h2z7sLLLVc
You get the idea.
The sad part is that Sale will likely win the award. And these fools will feel good for a few seconds out of their miserable day. But if Wheeler is leading the Phillies through a deep postseason run while Sale sits on his couch, Phillies fans will happily take that deal.
