Ed Delany/MMO

Zack Wheeler just needed a few starts to get his sea legs.

After two okay starts to begin Spring, Wheeler pitched four scoreless innings against the defending champions and their best lineup which featured Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi, and Xander Bogaerts.

Wheeler set down the first six guys to face him today. He gave up a single in the third inning but quickly rebounded. It’s worth noting he also struck out Martinez and Benintendi. Wheeler generated a lot of weak contact and got ground balls, generally his forte.

His final line was: 4 IP, H, 3 K.

Wheeler flashed 97 with his fastball which shows that he close to getting ready. Wheeler will probably get 2-3 more starts before the season begins. After a breakout 2018, the Mets are counting on Wheeler to repeat his success.

After his outing, while talking to reporters, Wheeler was approached by his childhood idol Pedro Martinez, who shook his hand and nodded in approval.

For Wheeler, it was a step in the right direction after his first two starts weren’t too kind to him. With two weeks in Spring Training left, he should get a couple more opportunities to fine tune his game.

Here’s Wheeler talking to the media just a little while ago: