July 16, 2026
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Can Bryce Harper get hot after the All-Star break to help the Phillies catch the Braves in the NL East?
The All-Star game was a smashing success in Philly – well, at least the Home Run Derby and the all-around vibes were. The game itself was a tad lacking.
But with the midsummer classic now behind, the Phillies make a quick return to their mission of overtaking the Braves in the National League East, of Dave Dombrowski improving the roster before the trade deadline, and of trying to get back to the World Series.
The Phillies and Mets get a head start on the action by starting a three-game series tonight in South Philly – with an off day in between on Friday – while the rest of MLB has one more night off before resuming play.
Let's take a look at how national sports outlets that cover MLB rank the Phillies headed into the "second half" of the season:
The goal for this veteran Phillies team is to win a World Series title before everybody gets too old to reasonably make another run. Since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager in late April, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball. So that World Series win they want so badly is very much on the table. [MLB]
Geoff says: The Phils held steady at fifth in their rankings, and Leitch is correct – owner John Middletown wants his bleepin' trophy back. Making the World Series seemed untenable in April. Now? With the right trade deadline moves, you don't have to squint that hard to see the Phillies getting back there. But they are still a flawed team.
Writes David Schoenfeld among an MLB panel:
...[Cris] Sanchez's Cy Young chances took a big hit Monday when he gave up nine runs in Kansas City as the Royals pounded 12 hits in 3⅓ innings. His ERA climbed from 2.00 to 2.62. Oddly, Sanchez has now had games of 12, 12 and 11 hits allowed this season after not giving up more than eight in any start in 2025. [ESPN]
GeoffSays: ESPN published its rankings before the All-Star break, hence the focus on Sánchez getting hammered by K.C. Sánchez rebounded from that awful outing to allow just two runs in seven innings against the Tigers, but he did scatter 10 hits. Sánchez has allowed MLB's third-most hits (126), behind Michael Lorenzen (134) and Sandy Alcántara (127). But he also has the league's third-most strikeouts, so he's been able to mitigate much of that damage on his own. Still, getting bombed against Kansas City along with another rough outing against the Nats on June 25 might have cost Sánchez his shot at the Cy Young – and delivered it right to his teammate, Zach Wheeler. It should be a fun three-way race into the Fall between Sánchez, Wheeler and Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski for the award.
The Phillies have rebounded after an awful start to the season, but nothing has changed from the way most people saw them at the start of the year. How many more bites at the apple will this aging core get? Dave Dombrowski figures to go for it, even with a weak farm system to deal from. The Phillies should be on the lookout for relief help and perhaps a right-handed hitting outfielder with Adolís García done for the season. [NBC Sports]
GeoffSays: For some reason, the Phils dropped two spots in their ranking despite entering the break on a two-series win streak. Whatever. Short makes a good point about the team's current standing; although the turnaround from 9-19 has been spectacular, nobody would've been surprised going into the season to find out the Phillies would be 54-43 at the break. Some might even be disappointed, especially with Atlanta ahead. There will be much pressure on Dombrowski to make deals despite having a weak farm system and an injured top prospect.
Doesn’t 9-19 seem like a distant memory now? Since firing Rob Thomson, the Phillies have gone 45-24 under interim manager Don Mattingly. The re-signing of DH Kyle Schwarber is one of the most important moves any team made over the winter, and a rotation led by Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo is racking up strikeouts and thriving. [FOX Sports]
GeoffSays: The Phillies held steady in their latest ranking. If you're a Braves fan, isn't the 9-19 Phillies record – or 10.5-game Braves lead on May 3 – starting to feel like 28-3 in the Super Bowl? Hey, come to think of it, wasn't that Super Bowl lost by ... Atlanta?
I salute Philadelphia for one heck of an All-Star week. I especially applaud the crowd in the Home Run Derby semifinals and finals. [CBS].
GeoffSays: Another outlet that dropped the Phils, one spot down. But, hey, at least CBS isn't a bunch of crybabies who can't appreciate how Philly rose to the occasion as All-Star Game hosts, right after hosting the World Cup.
As if Zack Wheeler needed any help being one of the best pitchers on the planet, the All-Star snub still lit a fire inside him, and he responded by throwing 13 innings with 24 strikeouts and one run allowed in his two starts this week. Poor Cincinnati and Detroit ran into an angry buzzsaw, hellbent on bringing Philadelphia to within two games of first place in the NL East while shoving crow in the mouths of those who deemed him unworthy of the All-Star Game. [B/R].
GeoffSays: B/R has consistently been ahead of other outlets on the Phillies being a top-five team. It would almost be better if they had written something unfavorable about Wheeler, who has taken motivational tactics to a new level. Seriously, though, Wheeler's comeback from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery has been nothing short of remarkable, and while everyone was ready to hand Sánchez the Cy Young in early June – including yours truly – it might actually be Wheeler finally coming home with the hardware if he can keep up his current pace. Can someone else please disrespect this man?
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