The Phillies looked dead in the water a month into 2026. They were sitting on the worst record in baseball, half a game behind the Mets, who had the second-worst mark, and 9.5 games back of the Braves, who were leading the majors in wins.
Since then, they’ve ripped off a 10-week surge that has pushed the Mets into the rearview mirror and brought Philadelphia within shouting distance of Atlanta in the NL East. Over that stretch, the Phillies have played at a .641 clip, which works out to a 104-win pace.
That kind of turnaround changes the deadline conversation fast. Even with the ugly start making a sixth straight year of improved regular-season record and run differential under Dave Dombrowski unlikely, the Phillies still look like buyers.
They’re 50-41, FanGraphs gives them an 83.9% playoff probability, and the standings leave plenty of room for optimism. The Wild Card race is crowded, but Philadelphia has the wins, the talent and the incentive to act.
A postseason berth looks likely, and a third straight NL East title is back in play.
If Dombrowski makes only one move, it has to be the right one - or more accurately, the one he gets right. Philadelphia’s clearest need is a right-handed hitter, preferably one who can handle right field.
The offense entered Monday ranked 16th in runs per game, but its 92 wRC+ sat 24th. That’s a problem, and it’s been driven by a lineup where Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh have done most of the heavy lifting from the left side.
The numbers on the right-handed bats are even uglier. The Phillies’ only right-handed hitter with a wRC+ above 80 is Derek Hill, and his career track record plus his batted-ball profile point to a hot streak that probably won’t last.
As a group, Philadelphia’s right-handed hitters are last in the NL in batting average and last in MLB in OBP, slugging percentage, OPS and wRC+. Adolis García wasn’t giving them much before he tore his lat, and with him done for the year, there’s a clear opening for another righty bat.
Right field is the obvious place to look, but it’s not the only spot where the roster could use help. Justin Crawford hasn’t locked down an everyday job, though at least he covers ground in center.
Alec Bohm has the same 78 wRC+ as Crawford, but he doesn’t bring enough defense or speed to make up for the bat. Even so, he still offers more upside than the Phillies’ current right-field options.
The shortstop and catcher spots haven’t produced much either, but those are areas where the club is mostly left hoping Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto can straighten things out.
So if Philadelphia adds just one bat, it should be a right-handed outfielder. If it adds two, the second one should probably fit the same mold.
The fit is straightforward: the Phillies have bench room, and they already have a couple of left-handed platoon bats occupying everyday roles. Don Mattingly has tried to protect Crawford from same-handed pitching, but that gets a lot harder without a dependable righty to plug in.
Marsh has been better than expected this season, especially against right-handers, but his career split against lefties remains a concern. He’s hit well enough this year to justify regular playing time, with a 142 wRC+ vs.
RHP and a 95 wRC+ vs. LHP, but his career numbers tell a different story: 122 wRC+ vs.
RHP and 67 wRC+ vs. LHP.
The Phillies can argue he’s the least of their worries right now, but that’s a bet that could get shaky if the lefty issues catch up with him.
In Other News...
Andrew Painter May Have Changed One Phillies Deadline Dilemma
Andrew Painters return to Triple-A has given the Phillies something they badly needed in the middle of July: a reason to pause before chasing starting pitching help. The former top prospect struggled in his rookie MLB season and was sent back to Lehigh Valley, but his first two outings there have been encouraging, with one run allowed in each start and a cleaner second trip through the rotation that included multiple strikeouts and no walks.
For a club that can see the need for depth on the mound, that matters because every step Painter takes forward can change the calculus at the deadline. If he keeps trending in the right direction, the Phillies may not feel as pressed to pay the kind of prospect price that would come with chasing higher-end starters, and that could make the front offices next move a lot more complicated than simply adding another arm. [Read more 🡒]
The Schmitter Is Finally Coming Back To Citizens Bank Park
For Phillies fans with a long memory, one of Citizens Bank Parks most beloved ballpark sandwiches is making a comeback. The Schmitter, that hybrid cheesesteak piled with steak, onions, cheese, salami and tomatoes on a Kaiser roll, is set to return for the MLB All-Star Game and then stay on the menu for the rest of the season, giving the park a little extra local flavor at a time when food traditions matter almost as much as the baseball.
The sandwich was a fixture at Citizens Bank Park from 2004 to 2016 before disappearing because the kitchen space could not support making it at the quality the park wanted. Now Aramark says it has been working to bring the Schmitter back and hopes to find a longer-term solution, which at least gives Phillies fans a reason to keep an eye on the concessions line as the summer rolls on. [Read more 🡒]
Zack Wheeler Was Livid After Phillies Fans Saw Another All-Star Snub
Zack Wheelers latest All-Star snub landed with extra sting for Phillies fans because it came in the middle of another dominant season, one that has only reinforced how indispensable he has been on the mound. Since returning in late April from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, Wheeler has looked like the same top-line starter the Phillies have built around, piling up strikeouts and run prevention that made his omission feel less like a judgment on performance and more like a bureaucratic quirk.
Wheeler was especially irritated by the way the selection process played out, and his frustration made sense after a seven-inning, 14-strikeout start that only sharpened the case for him. With a 2.28 ERA and the kind of workload that usually earns All-Star recognition, he has given the Phillies everything they could ask for, even if the roster rules created a technicality that kept him out of the game. [Read more 🡒]