Zack Wheeler's Agent Rips Phillies Star's 2026 MLB All-Star Game Snub, 'Tone Deaf'

Zack Wheeler's agent isn't happy that he was snubbed for this year's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

"It's just tone deaf," B.B. Abbott told The Athletic's Matt Gelb on Sunday. "I think the whole thing is tone deaf."

"Major League Baseball knows," Abbott added regarding Wheeler's impressive recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome, which cut his 2025 season short. "Everybody knows what he's been through. And to not do what you needed to do to let this guy be honored in his home ballpark, it's ludicrous."

Wheeler, 36, has been fantastic upon his return, going 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 80 innings across 13 starts. Those are certainly All-Star numbers.

But the National League is absolutely stacked with pitching this season, and the Phillies already have five All-Stars on the roster (Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Cristopher Sánchez and Jhoan Durán). It was the perfect storm for a Wheeler snub, in other words.

But Abbott isn't having it.

"They're going to think that I'm grandstanding and on a soapbox," Abbott said. "Quite frankly, I don't care because it's the right thing to do on this particular player. To be able to come back from something that not a lot of players can come back from—and certainly can't return the level of excellence that he has—it shows a real lack of acknowledgement by Major League Baseball to what he's done up to this point."