After starting the season with an MLB-worst 9–19 record (tied with the Mets) and a negative-54 run differential, philadelphia phillies decided it was time for a change and Manager Rob Thomson was fired Tuesday morning.
Don Mattingly will take over as interim manager with the task of turning around a team that has struggled mightily in every aspect of the game, ranking 28th in runs scored and team ERA one month into the season.
Philadelphia’s move comes just days after boston red sox The first major managerial change of the season was made, Firing manager Alex Cora and five coaches.
Will a manager change save the Phillies’ season? What happened to Philly’s once powerful offense? And who are some long-term candidates for the job? MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers believe.
The Phillies have made four consecutive playoff appearances under Thompson. Why would they take this step in April?
Olney: The decision was based on two reasons: (1) The Phillies, like the Mets and Red Sox, had performed poorly, and the highly regarded Thomson had to pay the price. (2) Alex Cora’s availability likely accelerated the Phillies’ managerial talks – and yes, the Phillies offered Cora a job. But after Cora’s ugly, surprise divorce with the Red Sox, she informed them she needed time with her family.
It’s been 12 years since Don Mattingly managed in the big leagues and yet he was given the “interim” tag by Philadelphia, which tells you the lights are still on for Cora — whether it’s in a month, two months, or heading into the 2027 season.
Rogers: The Phillies made this change for the same reason they made a similar move in June 2022 when they replaced Joe Girardi with Thomson: They’re looking for a different voice to spark their own. The Phillies made the playoffs in that first season under Thompson. There’s no point saying that can’t happen under Mattingly.
Mostly, though, their upcoming schedule and the return of Zack Wheeler are likely to help more than anything else. Thomson was good for moment in time. Maybe Mattingly will be in for it.
Doolittle: It’s always the easiest lever to pull when a sinking team falls so far short of expectations. The season is winding down quickly – the Braves have already put ten and a half games between themselves and the Phillies. Meanwhile, nine of Philadelphia’s next 13 are at home (Giants, Athletics, Rockies) and four away games are at Miami. The Phillies desperately need to take advantage of this stretch of their schedule and Dombrowski apparently sees Mattingly’s move as the spark that can do that.
The Phillies’ offense has been one of the best in baseball in recent seasons. Why is the offense struggling so much?
Doolittle: It is old and thin. This is what happens to top-heavy rosters that rely on the same core group for too long. The Phillies’ window is closing, if it isn’t already completely closed. There are only three league-average or better hitters on the roster right now and beyond. brandon marshTwo of the three had semi-disappointing starts.
kyle schwarber Still getting bad but his overall numbers are down and that’s something that should have been factored into the Phillies’ plan. bryce harper OK, but penalty is not the word you want to associate with Bryce Harper, although that also applies to the 2025 season. maybe even those two stars tree turnerGet hot under Mattingly but even if they do, the Phillies have holes everywhere and a lackluster bench to boot.
Olney: To Brad’s point, there are a lot of questions among rival evaluators about whether this group will reemerge, given that some guys are at the nadir of their respective careers. Can the Phillies reasonably expect JT Realmuto’s offense to improve after being activated from the injured list? Bryce Harper is a future Hall of Famer, but can he return to being an MVP candidate in 2026? adolis garcia Has largely struggled offensively since the 2023 postseason; Is he going to get better? alec bohm Had taken personal issues; How much weight are they putting on it?
Rogers: Obviously, the lineup is getting old and cannot be relied upon to rely solely on Turner, Harper and Schwarber. And the bottom of their lineup is a disaster. Collectively, hitters 6-9 have compiled an OPS of just .337 so far. It starts with Bohm and his meager .143 average with a .412 OPS. justin crawford It’s a rookie with upside, but has only produced a wRC+ of 86 in his debut. The star players at the top of the lineup need some help. And faster.
What can the Phillies expect under interim manager Don Mattingly?
Olney: They will play better; According to FanGraphs, their chances of making the playoffs are still around 40%, which makes sense given the quality of their starting pitching – christopher sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Andrew Painterand now jack wheeler Is back. Mattingly is very similar to Thomson in personality – balanced, experienced, never overreactive. I don’t think players will feel any significant difference.
Doolittle: Mattingly’s profile is certainly much higher than Thomson’s, but personality-wise, I’m not sure I see any obvious differences. From a game-strategy point of view, perhaps you will see a little more effort to score runs.
Under Thomson, the Phillies are one of two teams that have not attempted a sacrifice fly this season. They lead the majors in successful steal percentage (89%), but are only 24th in attempted steals percentage (4.8%).
Mattingly has always tended to adjust these things to suit his roster, and the Phillies are certainly constrained by who they have and what they can do. But only four teams have been more reliant on homers for scoring, so there may be a few things Mattingly can try. But let’s face it – it depends on Harper, Schwarber and Turner reaching past standards.
rogers: Perhaps a different atmosphere in the manager’s office will create a different atmosphere at the plate. it’s not impossible. Mostly, Mattingly needs to keep a steady ship as his pitchers get healthy.
This is the key to Philly’s comeback over the next five months. Just don’t lag behind. A shake-up could provide enough of a spark to get Philly moving in the right direction. The Phillies can’t get it all back in the standings in one day. Mattingly needs to get that message across, while also, of course, demanding urgency. It is not an easy task.
Who are some long-term candidates for the job besides Mattingly?
Doolittle: The obvious name is that of the other manager who has been canned this season, ex-Boston captain Alex Cora, and it was reported that Cora was offered the job (and turned it down) before Philly tapped Matlingley.
Dombrowski hired Cora in 2018 before the Red Sox’s championship season and Cora should be a hot commodity if he decides to pursue another managerial gig. If the Phillies respond well to Mattingly, you have to think he’ll shed the interim label, especially since his son is the Phillies’ GM under Preston Dombrowski. That might change if Cora gets the call in the postseason, but the Phillies are very likely to have this problem.
Olney: This is Quora’s work in the future – I don’t think it’s a question of if, but when.
Rogers: This is not the time to try out one of those young, new-age managers. There won’t be a coach from an SEC school taking over for the Phillies any time soon, so Alex Cora fits that profile like no other.
There have now been two high-profile manager changes this month. Which manager could be in the next hot seat?
Doolittle: I feel for the guy, but if the Mets don’t start hanging some W’s and lots of them very soon, it’s hard to see how Carlos Mendoza makes it to Memorial Day. Joe Espada in Houston is another captain with little track record leading an expected contender that has been a flop so far. If both the Astros and Phillies are in the market for a manager after the season, it will be interesting to see how hard both work following Dombrowski and Cora’s involvement with the Astros.
Olney: Mets don’t want to fire Mendoza; I don’t think that David Stearns nor Steve Cohen believe that he is responsible for the team’s poor performance. It’s on the veterans that make up the everyday lineup that is terrible, ranking 30th among 30 teams in several categories. But at this stage, with Mendoza in the last year of his deal, the Mets may start thinking about making a change for the sake of a change.
Rogers: Mendoza is the one and only answer to this question unless Jerry Dipoto pulls off an upset in Seattle or Jim Crane does it in Houston. Crane is a wild card, so perhaps there are equal chances between Mendoza and Joe Espada – but an underachieving Mets manager seems like a no-brainer.
