Zack Wheeler National League Comeback Player of the Year award, Digi Mart USA News (Las Vegas): When Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome in August 2025, there were some outside questions about whether he would ever pitch again. Wheeler himself was never in doubt, even though the surgery he underwent had ended pitchers’ careers before.
Wheeler was named Comeback Player of the Year at the MLB Awards on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. In 162 innings this season, he posted a 3.00 ERA and recorded 193 strikeouts.
“That was probably the fun part of the season, was battling back with all these guys,” Wheeler said after the Phillies were eliminated from the wild-card series. “Everybody had to step up, and everybody did.
Made it to the playoffs. Didn’t make it far as we wanted, obviously, but you got to take the good and bad from everything.”
Wheeler’s 2025 season ended abruptly after a blood clot was identified near his right shoulder following a start in Washington. After the clot was removed, he underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery, which involved removing one of his ribs, which he kept as a souvenir.
Following a lengthy rehab process, Wheeler was reactivated from the injured list on April 25 and made his first start of the season that night against the Braves. He did not miss a start for the rest of the season.
He is the first Phillies player to win the award since Brad Lidge in 2008. Wheeler was also previously named the Players Association’s Comeback Player of the Year, an award voted on by his peers.
