The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Wheeler releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 17 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
363 tracked release points, averaging 5.0 feet off the ground.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .444 expected average against them, against .284 on his fastballs.
84 of his breaking balls thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's sweeper moves 18.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
52 thrown, averaging 80.8 mph.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Wheeler throws the sinker 40.6% of the time against right-handers and 7.2% against left-handers.
128 pitches to right-handers, 235 to left-handers.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Wheeler throws a fastball 69.8% of the time, against 48.2% when he is ahead.
96 pitches behind in the count, 112 ahead.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Wheeler works off the plate, with only 38.6% of his pitches in the zone, 13th percentile.
363 pitches in 2026. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 468th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Wheeler's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 85.3 off his sweeper.
127 and 52 of them thrown.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball carries 14.3 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
127 thrown, averaging 94.6 mph.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Wheeler goes to the splitter: 21.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 10% the rest of the time.
104 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Wheeler lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.21 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
363 located pitches in 2026.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Wheeler releases the ball 7.1 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
282 tracked pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's sweeper spins at 2,774 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
52 thrown in 2026.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Wheeler throws a strike on the first pitch 67.4% of the time.
95 plate appearances started in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Wheeler lands 45.5% of his fastballs in the zone and only 28.6% of his breaking balls.
231 of his fastballs, 84 of his breaking balls.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
15.7% of Wheeler's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
57 of 363 located pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.8 mph separates Wheeler's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 94.6 against 80.8.
127 and 52 of them respectively.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Wheeler puts 40.6% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 37.4% of his pitches to left-handers.
128 pitches to right-handed hitters, 235 to left-handed hitters.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Wheeler's stuff spins at 2,377 rpm, 72nd percentile in the league.
363 pitches in 2026. 72nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 151st in MLB.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Wheeler's fastball averages 94.5 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 93.7 past his 75th.
70 early fastballs, 42 late ones.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Wheeler works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Sweeper and Splitter, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35% of everything he throws.
363 classified pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Wheeler puts 55.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 40.2% when he is ahead.
96 located pitches behind, 112 ahead.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 35.4% of the contact Wheeler gives up is hit hard, 68th percentile.
363 pitches in 2026. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 170th in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball averages 94.6 mph, and has touched 96.5.
127 thrown, 35% of his pitches.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Wheeler releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 17 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
363 tracked release points, averaging 5.0 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Wheeler releases the ball 7.1 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
282 tracked pitches in 2026.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Wheeler's fastball averages 94.5 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 93.7 past his 75th.
70 early fastballs, 42 late ones.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .444 expected average against them, against .284 on his fastballs.
84 of his breaking balls thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Wheeler lands 45.5% of his fastballs in the zone and only 28.6% of his breaking balls.
231 of his fastballs, 84 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's sweeper moves 18.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
52 thrown, averaging 80.8 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball carries 14.3 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
127 thrown, averaging 94.6 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Wheeler throws the sinker 40.6% of the time against right-handers and 7.2% against left-handers.
128 pitches to right-handers, 235 to left-handers.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Wheeler's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 85.3 off his sweeper.
127 and 52 of them thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's sweeper spins at 2,774 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
52 thrown in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.8 mph separates Wheeler's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 94.6 against 80.8.
127 and 52 of them respectively.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Wheeler works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Sweeper and Splitter, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35% of everything he throws.
363 classified pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball averages 94.6 mph, and has touched 96.5.
127 thrown, 35% of his pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Wheeler throws a fastball 69.8% of the time, against 48.2% when he is ahead.
96 pitches behind in the count, 112 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Wheeler goes to the splitter: 21.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 10% the rest of the time.
104 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Wheeler throws a strike on the first pitch 67.4% of the time.
95 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Wheeler puts 55.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 40.2% when he is ahead.
96 located pitches behind, 112 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Wheeler works off the plate, with only 38.6% of his pitches in the zone, 13th percentile.
363 pitches in 2026. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 468th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Wheeler lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.21 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
363 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
15.7% of Wheeler's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
57 of 363 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Wheeler puts 40.6% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 37.4% of his pitches to left-handers.
128 pitches to right-handed hitters, 235 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Wheeler's stuff spins at 2,377 rpm, 72nd percentile in the league.
363 pitches in 2026. 72nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 151st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 35.4% of the contact Wheeler gives up is hit hard, 68th percentile.
363 pitches in 2026. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 170th in MLB.
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