The Philadelphia Phillies and veteran right-hander Zack Wheeler agreed to a contract extension on Monday that will keep him in town beyond the end of his original five-year, $118 million pact. Wheeler's new deal, a three-year arrangement worth $126 million according to CBS Sports HQ insider Jim Bowden, makes history in a few respects: its $42 million average annual value represents the highest in Phillies franchise history, as well as the highest in Major League Baseball history among extensions.
Alas, Wheeler does not possess the highest AAV in all of MLB history. Incorporate free-agent contracts and a few deals from recent winters surpass his figure, including those inked by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and right-handed aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Wheeler's AAV, nevertheless, does slot in ahead of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the fourth highest all-time.
Here's a look at the updated top 10 highest AAV in MLB history:
- 1. Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers: ~$46,000,000 (adjusted for deferrals) (2024-33)
- T2. Max Scherzer, RHP, New York Mets: $43,333,333 (2022-24)
- T2. Justin Verlander, RHP, New York Mets: $43,333,333 (2023-24)
- 4. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies: $42,000,000 (2025-27)
- 5. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees: $40,000,000 (2023-31)
- 6. Jacob deGrom, RHP, Texas Rangers: $37,000,000 (2023-27)
- 7. Gerrit Cole, RHP, New York Yankees: $36,000,000 (2020-28)
- 8. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels: $35,541,667 (2019-30)
- 9. Carlos Correa, SS, Minnesota Twins: $35,100,000 (2022-24)
- T10. Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Washington Nationals: $35,000,000 (2020-26)
- T10. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels: $35,000,000 (2020-26)
Wheeler, 33, is entering his fifth season with the Phillies. To date, he's amassed a 3.06 ERA (137 ERA+) and a 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 101 regular season outings with the club. Wheeler's contributions have been worth an estimated 19.6 Wins Above Replacement, per the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.
