Zack Wheeler will almost certainly take the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies when they open the 2022 season in Houston on March 31.
In part, that’s because Wheeler just completed one of the best seasons in franchise history, finishing a close second in National League Cy Young Award voting.
But it’s also because Aaron Nola — who has gotten the ball on the last four opening days for the Phillies — is coming off a very frustrating 2021 campaign.
There are some numbers — such as his 3.37 FIP and .308 opponent’s batting average on balls in play — that suggest Nola was unlucky in 2021, and could be due for positive regression next season.