There may be nothing better than baseball to offer a reality check, and the Phillies know it best. They entered 2026 with a $317 million payroll, fifth-highest in MLB. They are the reigning NL East champions, but baseball took the first 21 games of the new season to show where the reality lies.
The Phillies are now ranked 4th in the NL East with an 8-13 record and are currently in a 5-game losing streak after getting swept by the Braves. It is their worst 21-game start since 2000. Expectedly, the manager didn’t hide his disappointment.
“We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I know they’re trying hard, sometimes trying too hard. I think guys are upset. We’re off to a slow start here, but it’s going to get better.”
Surely, it’s far worse than a routine “slow start” for the Phillies in 2026. The team is stuffed with All-Stars, but still ranked 25th in terms of average (.222). And the worst part is that the All-Stars are all struggling.
Kyle Schwarber, the 56-home run scorer from last year, scored 7 HRs till now and is batting at .227. In Sunday’s 4-2 loss against the Braves, Schwarber took a hit that could have been a walk-off win, but mistimed the shot, and Ronald Acuna Jr. made no mistake, gloving it. The ninth inning ended, the Phillies fell short, and Schwarber was seen slamming his helmet.
While both the Phillies manager and Schwarber shared their frustration and disappointment, they both sounded optimistic. History, although not on their side.
The Phillies reportedly had the same 8-13 start from their first 21 games in 2002 and 2015. In 2022, they finished 80-81, while in 2015, they finished with a 63-99. Moreover, this year, they have the worst run differential in baseball (minus-38). Last season, they dropped only three home series, while this year, the Phillies have already dropped four till now.
So, despite Thomson and Schwarber defending the roster as hard workers, the reality is different. But their confidence should serve as an ultimatum to the clubhouse to get back to the best at the earliest.
The Phillies’ manager might be in the hot seat
The Phillies might turn around in the next series, and their offense might start working again, but the 8-13 record already put Rob Thomson on the hot seat. Since taking over in June, he has a 354-262 (.575) regular-season record as the Phillies manager. Under him, the Phillies reached the playoffs for the fourth consecutive 4 times since 2022.
So, Thomson can’t be termed a failure, but championships count in baseball.
The rumors around Thomson amplified further after Yankees legend Don Mattingly signed as the Phillies’ bench coach. He previously served as the Blue Jays’ bench coach, and the Jays’ postseason surge in offense was credited to him. So, the chances are that the high Dave Dombrowski would trust Mattingly to make the Phillies’ offense work.
There’s nothing from the team’s front office yet, but as per MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, if this losing streak continues, Thomson will feel more pressure. And if he gets replaced anytime soon, Mattingly would surely be the first choice. “It’s not known whether Mattingly would want the job,” Rosenthal added. Mattingly’s son, Preston, serves as the team’s general manager.
So, there would be some level of awkwardness in placing Mattingly in the managerial seat, but in MLB, numbers speak.
