Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler recently made a mechanical adjustment to his pitching delivery after a deep dive with team staff into his analytics and biomechanics. He discovered that his glove was "down two more inches" and had been trending in that direction for some time, according to a graph shown to him. The primary fix involved raising his front arm, which helped him stay more direct towards home plate rather than over-rotating towards the third base on-deck circle.
This adjustment was evident in a recent outing against the Angels, where he helped the Phillies secure a sweep. Wheeler noted that the correction clicked for him in the fourth inning, allowing him to retire the side in just 13 pitches. Despite this improvement, he cautioned that he was "not totally out of the water yet" and still "grinding" to find the strike zone, as evidenced by his 108 pitches through six innings against a struggling Angels lineup.
This mechanical overhaul is crucial for the Phillies, who need a return to Wheeler's pre-All-Star break form to contend with the Braves for the NL East title in September. His team managed to overcome an ineffective month from him, winning four of their last five opponents.
