One month into their 2026 season, the Phillies had the worst record in MLB. They were a half game behind the Mets, who had the second-worst record, and 9.5 behind the Braves, who led the majors in wins. In the 10 weeks since, the Phillies have left the Mets in the dust and climbed within shouting distance of the Braves in the NL East. Their winning percentage in that stretch is .641, a 104-game winning streak.
The Phillies improved their regular season record and made a difference in Dave Dombrowski’s first five years as president of baseball operations. Their slow start in 2026 makes that unlikely for the sixth year in a row. However, there is no doubt that their POBO will be aggressive in the finals as well. The NL Wild Card standings are tight, but the Phillies are successful, talented, and have every incentive to buy in the coming weeks. The Wild Card seems possible, and a third straight NL East title is back in the picture.
Record: 50-41 (83.9% playoff chance, per FanGraphs)
Buy Mode
Potential needs: Outfield, bat(s), back starter, bullpen depth
There is one move Dombrowski needs to get right. Or, more accurately, there’s one move Dombrowski needs to make: fix it.
The Phillies’ biggest need is a right-handed, right-handed hitter. Entering the game on Monday, tHeir offense ranked 16th in runs per game, but their 92 wRC+ was 24th. Three bats left – Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harperagain Brandon Marsh – they have done almost all the work. The only Philadelphia right-hander with a wRC+ over 80 recent commercial acquisitions Derek Hillhis career numbers and batted ball data suggest his hot streak will be short-lived. Overall, the team’s right-handed bats ranked last in the NL in batting average and last in the MLB in OBP, slugging percentage, OPS, and wRC+. Adolis García He wasn’t doing much to help the cause before tearing his lat, and him out of seasonthe Phillies have an opening for a new right bat to take his place.
Right field isn’t the only place there Philadelphia could use some help, but it’s clearly the best. Justin Crawford He hasn’t done anything to solidify an everyday role this year, but at least the rookie covers the center field. Alec Bohm has a 78 wRC+, similar to Crawford, and the third baseman can’t make up for his shortcomings at the plate with defense or speed. Still, he offers more than the Phillies options to plug a hole in the right field. Ultimately, the team hasn’t gotten much production from their shortstop and catcher, but what they can do is hope Trea Turner again JT Realmuto to change things.
If the Phillies make just one addition to their roster, it should be a righty hitter. If they make another one, they should again he was an outside hitter. Thinking is easy. They have plenty of room on their bench and a few lefty bats left to fill everyday roles. Don Mattingly tried to prevent Crawford from riding with the same hand, but that’s difficult without a right-of-way. As for Marsh, his separation from lefties is still below average, even in a career year. His hitting this season is worthy of a full-time career (142 wRC+ vs. RHP, 95 wRC+ vs. LHP), but his career numbers are not (122 wRC+ vs. RHP, 67 wRC+ vs. LHP). The Phillies would say Marsh is the least of their problems right now, but that could prove a misunderstanding if his stats against southpaws start to decline.
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