We may not understand it. We may not know the exact reason for the shift and we may never know. But the fact remains: The Phillies are playing better baseball.
“Better baseball.” The short two-word phrase that Don Mattingly used repeatedly in his first interview as interim manager, and while it seems like a fairly obvious and simple thing to shoot for, sometimes it’s the little things that fall by the wayside with a team loaded with veteran superstars.
Since Mattingly took over as the Phillies’ skipper, the team has rattled off wins in seven of eight, and you can actually see the changes that Mattingly preaches taking place in real time. The team is playing small ball again. They’re implementing bunts when the situation arises. They’re manufacturing runs. Walk-off wins have returned to the repertoire.
Granted, the sub-.500 competition of late helps, but three weeks ago the Phillies couldn’t even beat the lowliest of teams.
While it’s still probably too early to give all credit for the turnaround to the managerial change, the decision by Mattingly to implement more stringent regular practices for fundamentals in the field, bunting drills, and pitcher fielding practice (PFP) felt long overdue. These changes may feel minor or basic, but for a team with a core of stars that has been together for years, getting back to basics with a focus on accountability may be exactly what this team needs. The failures on defense early this season felt like an early warning sign of apathy—a staleness that comes with having a lot of the same guys in the clubhouse year after year.
They say familiarity breeds contempt, but in this case it feels more like familiarity bred nonchalance. Fans and media often speculated that Rob Thomson’s close relationship with the players allowed them to get too comfortable—they lacked accountability and consequences for poor play. But there is also something to be said for the lack of new blood being brought in by the front office year after year.
Players that remain together for a long time, especially those that have experienced some success, could easily stop holding each other accountable as teammates evolve into family. The competitive rivalry that is usually so strong in professional athletes may be tamped down after multiple seasons with the same faces around them—with no one coming in to fight for playing time or infusing new energy into the lineup it’s easy to fall into a routine, into complacency. And if the manager is too close you can end up with an inmates running the asylum situation.
The Phillies had a glimpse of how new energy in the clubhouse can make an impact when they acquired Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins at the deadline last year. The confidence added by bringing in a shut down closer and the noticeable spark that Harrison Bader infused were undeniable.
Early this season it felt like the spark was out. Whether from another offseason lacking meaningful improvement through free agency or from the increasingly heavy baggage of another disappointing postseason, there was a sense that fun had left the building. Fun that had already begun to diminish last season when the Phillies disbanded “The Daycare” in favor of getting more serious and growing up after being embarrassed by the Mets in the NLDS in 2024.
The Phillies wasted no time putting the “Wheels” in motion to save the season.
Things needed to change, and the Phillies wasted no time. With J.T. Realmuto injured, Garrett Stubbs rejoined the team on April 22nd taking on backup catcher duties once again and reprising his underrated and often mocked role as Chief Vibes Officer.
On April 23rd, Taijuan Walker was released despite the $18 million still owed on his contract, as the Phillies opted to cut their losses and move on from the perpetually disappointing right-hander who had essentially become a scheduled loss every fifth day. Zack Wheeler made his first start of the season on April 25th and Rob Thomson was relieved of his duties as Phillies manager on April 28th.
With the return of Zack Wheeler and a new manager at the helm, the pitching staff appeared to wake up overnight and the team seems visibly lighter. We can never underestimate the importance of vibes in the clubhouse—a team that is loose, a team that is enjoying the game, a team that is enjoying each other—it can make the game feel a little bit easier.
When Kyle Schwarber finally worked a walk after striking out in eight consecutive plate appearances, he was met with mock cheers from his teammates in the dugout. This lighthearted show of affection for their struggling clubhouse leader would not have happened just a few short weeks ago.
And while credit for the shift in morale will probably be debated for a long time to come, the staggering improvement by the starting pitching rotation for the Phillies since the return of Zack Wheeler cannot be ignored.
Despite a history of offensive woes, the Phillies could live and die by starting pitching this season.
As if to prove the point, the Phillies’ 1-0 win over the Marlins on Monday night to secure their second series win in a row, was the epitome of riding your starting pitcher to victory.
Aaron Nola’s six shutout innings was his best performance on the season and allowed the Phillies to keep their series winning streak going despite their only offense coming off of a Bryce Harper solo home run. Manager Don Mattingly who has stressed the importance of the staff being pitchers rather than throwers, called the performance a “masterclass.” Earlier this season the Phillies would have no doubt dropped this tight contest, as the starting pitching failed to live up to their high expectations early, unable to get deep into games and often allowing the score to get out of hand before the Phillies offense had even had a chance to bat. And with the worst offense in baseball for the first 28 games of the season, they may have struggled to get it done with even mediocre starting pitching.
Jesus Luzardo has also found his footing of late, with two consecutive dominant starts allowing only two runs on eight hits with 18 strikeouts and zero walks in 13.1 innings pitched, serving up seven scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants.
On Tuesday night Cristopher Sanchez, who had the weight of being the Phillies ace on his shoulders prior to Wheeler’s return, pitched his best game of the season. Eight scoreless innings with only three hits, zero earned runs and 10 strikeouts allowing the Phillies offense to hold onto a 1-0 lead through the sixth before exploding on their way to a 9-1 victory of the Athletics.
The return of the rotation’s leader appears to have settled the troops and the quality starts are beginning to fall into place like dominoes with the staff recording a phenomenal 1.85 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in their last seven games heading into the Tuesday night rout of the A’s.
If the Phillies’ starting pitching can continue to get deeper into games and keep the score within reach, the chances of getting back into postseason position increase exponentially, but Don Mattingly is under no illusion that it would be enough to solve all the Phillies’ problems.
In his first appearance in the dugout he addressed the problems facing the team:
“It’s better baseball—we haven’t been losing unluckily. It’s not just that we haven’t hit the baseball. We haven’t been as good defensively as I think we can be. We haven’t had consistent, good starting pitching. Our bullpen has been good at times and bad at times. These are all the same things I talked to the players about. This is a “We” thing. This isn’t a pointing the finger at one thing and say this is a solution. The solution is: play better baseball than the other team. We’ve lost because we haven’t played better baseball than the other team.”
And though it’s still early in his tenure and the sample size is small, the results are speaking for themselves as the team enjoys success up and down the lineup and on the mound.
As Brandon Marsh continues to hit for average consistently, the rest of the bottom half of the lineup is starting to wake up. Bryson Stott has suddenly found his power, hitting three home runs for 8 RBI in five games. Adolis Garcia’s average has been creeping up and he’s finding ways to provide timely hitting, and rookie Justin Crawford has found his groove again after a cool down period following his hot start to the season.
With Bryce Harper on fire, the hitters behind him finally contributing, and the starting rotation finally looking as advertised, the Phillies now just four games out of a wild card spot, could find themselves back in the playoff hunt sooner than expected with a lot of season left.
Credit the magic of Don Mattingly or the return of the rotation whisperer, Zack Wheeler. Credit the Phillies for making a series of changes before things spiraled further out of control. Credit the team for being too talented to continue to fail that badly for much longer. Credit sacrifices to Jobu if you must. Whatever the reason, the Phillies have found a way to turn the page.
A team that was dead in the water at the end of April has come alive in May.
