July 06, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
How much credit should Don Mattingly get for the Phillies' turnaround, and will "Donnie Baseball" desire to keep the post after 2026?
At this time last week, we asked if the high-rising Phillies could leapfrog the Yankees, Rays or even the National League-leading Braves in the standings as they continued to pile up wins under manager Don Mattingly and move further away from the abysmal April that put the two-time defending NL champs in a hole that once seemed insurmountable.
The Phils then split a home series against the Pirates that included another knockout of reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes and have a chance to take another series later tonight if Cristopher Sánchez and Co. finish off the beleaguered Royals in Kansas City.
The Phillies did, in fact, climb past the Yankees in the overall Major League Baseball standings and are tied with the Cubs for the fifth most wins in the sport, behind only the Dodgers, Brewers, Rays and Braves. They did trim one game from their NL East deficit since last Monday and enter today's action just two games behind Atlanta for the division lead.
Let's look at where they stand among outlets that cover MLB:
With all the Phillies who will be in the dugout for their hometown All-Star Game next week, don’t forget perhaps the most important one: Don Mattingly. The Phillies got their 50th win this weekend, and 41 of those were with Mattingly in charge. The Phillies have had the best record in baseball since Mattingly took over; it’s not too much to say that he has changed their season, and maybe the direction of the entire franchise. [MLB.com].
Geoff says: For a guy who didn't even want the job, Mattingly has sure been a major part of the turnaround since 9-19. Anyone remember Jack McKeon? He replaced Jeff Torborg as Marlins skipper in 2023 at 16-22 and then managed the Fish to their second World Series title. He's the last manager to take over a team after the season started and win it all. The weird thing is, I believe Mattingly still wouldn't want the job in 2027 even if he did win it all. So do the Phillies, who are still reportedly the favorite to land Alex Cora as manager for 2027, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Writes Buster Olney among an MLB panel:
We have a wealth of narratives to choose from to explain the Phillies' turnaround, with the two most popular lines of thought being that Don Mattingly has been a difference-maker since taking over as interim manager and that the return of Zack Wheeler lifted the team's rotation into excellence. Here's another: The Phillies have thrived since J.T. Realmuto recovered from his early-season injury to guide the pitching staff with a record of 30-13. [ESPN.com]
Geoff says: Realmuto's expertise in handling the pitching staff is always under-discussed and probably not appreciated enough, especially as he's become a non-entity on offense. Was it worth the three-year, $45 million the Phils paid him after whiffing on Bo Bichette in free agency? Well, consider that Realmuto's 0.4 WAR is actually higher than Bichette's 0.3 and that Realmuto is making far less money, which means the Phils have more flexibility at the trade deadline.
This past week, I handed out MLB awards for the halfway point of the season. My National League Manager of the Year was Don Mattingly. Remember, he wasn't the manager to start the season. How many times has a manager taken over during a season and won this award? Three! Jack McKeon with the 2003 Marlins, Jim Tracy with the 2009 Rockies and Rob Thomson with the 2022 Phillies – the man who Mattingly replaced. [CBS Sports]
Geoff says: Oh, hey, looks like Snyder and I are on the same wavelength. Mattingly is a great candidate for NL Manager of the Year because a) Brewers manager Pat Murphy has already won the last two and no manager has won three straight; b) Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is consistently penalized for having the sport's best team (kind of like Nick Sirianni); and c) at this rate, Braves manager Walt Weiss will be more known for blowing a double-digit first-place lead anything else. Don't sleep on Cubs skipper Craig Counsell, but if the Phils repeat as NL East champs after their 9-19 start, Mattingly should be the front-runner.
Bryce Harper says he'll do the Home Run Derby "if he can find someone to pitch to him." [USA Today].
Geoff says: The dream Home Run Derby scenario is MLB somehow finding a way to pit Harper against teammate Kyle Schwarber in any round or especially in the championship. Interestingly, Lacques still has the Yankees above the Phillies at fifth overall despite noting that the Yankees "feel like a not very good team."
Trea Turner entered this week in a 27-game homerless drought before homering in three consecutive games against the Pirates. If that's the beginning of him turning around what has been easily a career-worst season up to this point, the Phillies might be hosting more than just the All-Star Game. They've already been hot for two months with Turner producing at a replacement level. Would be a game-changer if he locks in for the second half. [B/R]
Geoff says: For an 18-game stretch spanning May and June, Mattingly moved Turner out of leadoff to the 2-hole. Turner slashed .203/.244/.311. Mattingly then moved Turner back to leadoff on June 17. He has since in 17 games slashed .315/.342/.493 with three homers, 10 RBI, 19 runs and two stolen bases. He's still striking out a tad too much, but Miller is right that Turner's hot bat makes a huge difference in the Phillies' lineup. That said, they still need another right-handed power bat for the middle of the order.
Buy. And keep the momentum rolling. Thanks to their star-studded rotation, the Phillies have overcome their disastrous opening month and are on the verge of overtaking the slumping Braves for first place in the NL East. Now, they need to shore up a lineup that is woefully short on depth. [N.Y. Post].
Geoff says: In this week's edition, the Post suggested if teams should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. The Post moved the Phils up one spot to third overall, and clearly think – like most Philadelphians – that Dave Dombrowski should be padding the roster, especially the offense. The Twins aren't going anywhere. Go get Byron Buxton.
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