The Phillies’ offseason reset isn’t just about adding talent. It’s also about getting more out of the information already sitting in the building.
Philadelphia’s 2026 offense never found its footing, and that left manager Don Mattingly looking for a version of the team that looked more like August than the rest of the year. The down seasons from shortstop Trea Turner and catcher J.T.
Realmuto didn’t help, and the outfield, as a whole, offered too little. That leaves Dave Dombrowski searching for answers, whether they come through a trade or free agency.
But the front office also appears ready to lean harder into a part of the operation that already has real size behind it. As Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb reported on The Athletic, the Phillies have an analytics department with at least 40 people. Dan Aucoin was elevated in August to lead the research and development group, which is involved in solving on-field problems and studying opponents, and Dombrowski likes what he has in place.
“He’s hired some quality people,” Dombrowski said of Aucoin. “They supply good information that we are looking to improve upon.
But I think they’re very good. I think that they really have a good foundation.”
There is already evidence that this side of the operation can work. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham has partnered closely with the analysts, building game plans with them for his pitchers, and Dombrowski pointed to that as a model. He also made clear that the issue is not simply the quality of the information itself.
“For example, they work with (pitching coach) Caleb (Cotham) all the time, right? Well, from the pitching perspective, we’re known as being very progressive.
So I think it’s not only how you get the information, but then how other people want to use it, too. That is information we need to do a better job at using.
That’s not the analytic people’s fault. It’s something we need to do a better job at emphasizing ourselves.”
That same collaboration was part of the thinking behind Carlos Mendoza’s addition as the new infield coach after replacing Bobby Dickerson. He was told when hired that he would work closely with the analysts as the Phillies try to sharpen their defense.
The same idea should carry into the lineup, where hitting coach Kevin Long is being replaced. Work has been done in the cages, but the club wants that effort to show up more consistently once the games begin. If the Phillies can better connect the data to what happens on the field, they believe the payoff could be more wins.
In Other News...
Phillies Bold Infield Idea Could Cost Bryson Stott
The Phillies are already staring at an infield puzzle for 2026, and it starts with the possibility that both Alec Bohm and Luis Arraez could be free agents. Add in the long-running discussion about Bryce Harper eventually sliding back to first base, and suddenly the clubs infield picture looks a lot less settled than it does right now. It is the kind of roster planning that can reshape both the lineup and the defense, especially if the front office decides it wants more balance across the diamond.
One of the more aggressive solutions would involve Texas third baseman Josh Jung, a move that could give Philadelphia a different look at third while opening the door to bigger changes elsewhere. But any real pursuit of Jung also raises the price tag, and in this case the conversation gets to Bryson Stott, whose name would have to be considered if the Phillies wanted to make that kind of deal work. With Arraez also in the mix as a possible return to the infield, the organization has several paths to weigh, and each one comes with a different tradeoff for the roster it wants to build. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Prospects Could Force A Bigger 2027 Conversation
If the next few months turn into a holding pattern for the majors, the Phillies minor league side could become a lot more relevant than usual. A handful of prospects have already started to make themselves easier to notice, and names like Will Gasparino, Mavis Graves, Caden Bogenpohl, Matthew Fisher and Dante Nori give the system a little more depth than it gets credit for when the conversation stays fixed on the big league roster.
What makes that intriguing from Philadelphias perspective is that minor league players are not tied up in the lockout negotiations, which could give them a longer runway to build momentum while the majors sit still. If the season does get pushed back, the Phillies may find that some of the organizations most interesting competition is happening far from Citizens Bank Park, where a few prospects could force a bigger 2027 conversation than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Catching Question They Cant Ignore
J.T. Realmuto has given the Phillies plenty over the years, but this season has pushed a familiar question back to the front of the conversation: how much longer can they ask him to carry the full workload behind the plate? With his offense lagging and the current backup options in Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan offering limited production at the dish, Philadelphia has a real reason to at least consider whether a lighter catching load could help across the board.
Austin Hedges, Gary Sanchez and James McCann are among the free-agent names that could fit the kind of decision the Phillies are weighing, whether the priority is defense, offense or simply more stability at a demanding position. None of that means a move is imminent, but it does show how quickly the catching situation has gone from background concern to something the front office can no longer treat as routine. [Read more 🡒]