The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Wheeler releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 16 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
2649 tracked release points, averaging 4.9 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 sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
427 thrown, averaging 94.7 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Wheeler's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 90.3 mph, against 81.3 off his sinker.
946 and 427 of them thrown.
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.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Wheeler throws a fastball 69.7% of the time, against 52% when he is ahead.
690 pitches behind in the count, 823 ahead.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Wheeler throws the sinker 33.2% of the time against right-handers and 5.3% against left-handers.
1026 pitches to right-handers, 1623 to left-handers.
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.
2568 tracked pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
14.6% of Wheeler's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
388 of 2649 located pitches.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball carries 13.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
946 thrown, averaging 95.2 mph.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
15.2 mph separates Wheeler's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 95.2 against 80.0.
946 and 229 of them respectively.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Wheeler puts 57.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 34.4% when he is ahead.
690 located pitches behind, 823 ahead.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's curveball spins at 2,826 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
229 thrown 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 2.24 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
2649 located pitches 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.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Wheeler goes to the curveball: 14.4% of his two-strike pitches, against 5.8% the rest of the time.
874 two-strike pitches in 2026.
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 velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Wheeler's fastball averages 95.0 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 94.0 past his 75th.
476 early fastballs, 362 late ones.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Wheeler throws a strike on the first pitch 65.6% of the time.
645 plate appearances started in 2026.
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 fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball averages 95.2 mph, and has touched 97.8.
946 thrown, 35.7% of his pitches.
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 pitches move in ways that fit together
Wheeler works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Splitter and Sweeper, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35.7% of everything he throws.
2649 classified pitches in 2026.
Show more
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 16 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
2649 tracked release points, averaging 4.9 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.
2568 tracked pitches in 2026.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Wheeler's fastball averages 95.0 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 94.0 past his 75th.
476 early fastballs, 362 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 sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
427 thrown, averaging 94.7 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball carries 13.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
946 thrown, averaging 95.2 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Wheeler's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 90.3 mph, against 81.3 off his sinker.
946 and 427 of them thrown.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Wheeler throws the sinker 33.2% of the time against right-handers and 5.3% against left-handers.
1026 pitches to right-handers, 1623 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
15.2 mph separates Wheeler's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 95.2 against 80.0.
946 and 229 of them respectively.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Wheeler's curveball spins at 2,826 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
229 thrown in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Wheeler's 4-seam fastball averages 95.2 mph, and has touched 97.8.
946 thrown, 35.7% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Wheeler works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Splitter and Sweeper, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35.7% of everything he throws.
2649 classified pitches in 2026.
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
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Wheeler throws a fastball 69.7% of the time, against 52% when he is ahead.
690 pitches behind in the count, 823 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Wheeler puts 57.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 34.4% when he is ahead.
690 located pitches behind, 823 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Wheeler goes to the curveball: 14.4% of his two-strike pitches, against 5.8% the rest of the time.
874 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Wheeler throws a strike on the first pitch 65.6% of the time.
645 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
14.6% of Wheeler's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
388 of 2649 located pitches.
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 2.24 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
2649 located pitches in 2026.
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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