May 18, 2026
Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images
The Phillies' offense has burst open over the last few weeks,
The Phillies have won 15 of their last 19 games, and simply can no longer be tossed aside as wannabe has-been contenders.
After one of the worst starts in franchise history, the Phillies are back above the .500 mark with a tough week ahead, hosting the playoff-hopeful Reds and Guardians. Where do they fall in power rankings across the internet?
We've compiled a few of them below for some context as to how each team is being viewed outside of the Philadelphia bubble. With my own thoughts included for good measure.
Remember when the Phillies’ season was lost? That sure feels like a very long time ago. The Phillies knocked around no less than Paul Skenes on Sunday, capping off a fantastic run of 15 wins in the first 19 games of manager Don Mattingly’s tenure and getting themselves over .500 for the first time since they were 6-5. Even if they can’t catch the Braves, this team is going to be in the thick of the Wild Card chase all year.
Evan says: I do agree, the NL East was probably lost with their awful start combined with the Braves hot one. They remain eight-games back despite their recent turnaround. The Wild Card is their ticket into October this season — which ironically is how they made the postseason in 2022 and 2023 when they made their deeper runs.
Don Mattingly, Manager of the Year? Obviously, there is so much season to go, but that would be a fun one. The Phillies are 15-4 since he took over. They've gone from 10 games under to above .500 in less than three weeks.
Evan says: Rob Thomson did roughly the same thing in 2022, with the Phillies winning the NL Pennant, but he didn't get manager of the year. He also didn't have the same name recognition Mattingly has.
After a 9-19 start that resulted in the firing of manager Rob Thomson, the Phillies finally got into the black with a three-game sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh, capped by ace Zack Wheeler's seven shutout innings, outdueling Paul Skenes. The Phillies are 24-23, and while they are still eight games behind Atlanta in the NL East, they can carry on knowing the worst is behind them.
Evan says: The worst is... probably behind them? Before sweeping the Pirates, the Phillies won consecutive series against the Red Sox (19-27), the Rockies (18-19), the Athletics (23-23), the Marlins (21-26) and the Giants (20-27). Murderer's Row, their schedule has not been. They have some good teams left on the slate, including over the next few weeks. It's not like the rest of the season will be smooth sailing.
In a 13-game stretch in which the Phillies played only the Cubs and Braves, they went 2-11, ending with Rob Thomson getting fired. They've played the Giants, Marlins, A's, Rockies and Red Sox under Mattingly. Still, some slow starters are finally hitting: In that 14-game stretch, Alec Bohm had an .833 OPS with nine RBIs in the 11 games he played; Bryson Stott slugged .531 with 12 RBIs; and Brandon Marsh hit .457 to raise his average to an MLB-leading .350.
Evan says: I already complained about the easy schedule, above, but their putrid hitting against lefties is finally reverting toward the mean, as are the previously struggling Bohm and Stott. All very good signs.
The Phillies continue to win games, and their pitching has a lot to do with that. Zack Wheeler looks like his usual ace-self, Jesus Luzardo had a major bounceback start this week, Christopher Sanchez remains unreal, and even Andrew Painter pitched really well. The offense still has issues to address beyond the ageless wonder that is Kyle Schwarber, but if the Phillies continue to get the kind of pitching they’ve been getting since firing Rob Thomson, they’re going to be tough for any team to play against.
Evan says: Okay hang on, Kyle Schwarber at 33 is an ageless wonder? Really? Is anyone calling 34-year-old Aaron Judge that? I mean, Shohei Ohtani is about to turn 32. Isn't early 30s just known as your prime?
The Phillies have climbed above .500 for the first time since April 7 when they started the season with a 6-5 record. They have won their last six series, including an 8-2 record on the road during that hot streak. Kyle Schwarber hit four more home runs last week to become baseball's first 20-homer slugger in 2026.
Evan says: Schwarber actually hit nine homers in eight games which is positively wild. I don't think he'll sniff 70, but he might break Ryan Howard's Phillies record of 58 in 2006 (Howard won NL MVP that year for what it's worth).
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