June 29, 2026
John Jones/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
The Phillies went on a recent NL East tear, and after an abysmal April they now have the sixth-most wins in the sport.
The winning ways continue for the Phillies, who just took two from the Mets over the weekend and ripped through a 13-game stretch against only National League East opponents, winning 9 of 13 games.
The Phillies have had MLB's best record since Don Mattingly took over April 28 for quite a while, and after their infamous 9-19 start they're not only 38-18 since but also presently have MLB's sixth-most wins at 47-37 – entering Monday's action just three games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, who once held a 10.5-game lead over the Phils.
By week's end, the Phillies could leapfrog the Yankees (48-35), Rays (48-33) and maybe even the fizzling Braves (49-33) to have a top-three MLB record, which would really be something after how they started the season.
Not surprisingly, the national media continues to believe in the surging Phillies as weeks go by. In fact, one outlet had them ranked as high as No. 2 overall. Are the Phillies really a top-three team?
Here's a roundup of where the Phils are ranked among different outlets that cover MLB:
If there was a player who had a breakout week, it was absolutely Derek Hill, who made an over-the-wall catch that teammate Zack Wheeler called “the best one I’ve ever seen in person.” Even more impressed? Juan Soto, the guy whose homer Hill stole. “It was an unbelievable catch,” Soto said. “When you see the replay, when you see how impressive it was -- I mean, he didn't even have any timing, he just went straight to the wall and jumped. That was incredible.” [MLB.com]
Geoff says: Yes, but don't forget that Hill's bat was a big reason the Phillies took three of four from the Nationals before taking two from the Mets, as he clubbed two homers and drove in four in consecutive games, including a pinch-hit blast with the Phillies down to their final strike on Wednesday to turn a near loss into a 5-4 win. He's starting to heat up, and that homer robbery of Soto can only help bolster his confidence.
Now 38-18 under Don Mattingly - and just three games behind Atlanta. [USA Today].
Geoff says: Riveting analysis there, Gabe. The Phils held steady in his rankings. However, I do wonder, if the Phils had never fired Rob Thomson, what would their record be at this point? It's clear his firing sparked a turnaround, but it's also obvious the Phillies were much more talented than 9-19 suggested and just needed to get out of their funk.
The Phillies are now 38-18 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson in the manager's seat, and this looks like a roster built for a playoff run. They could use another starter after Andrew Painter was optioned to the minors, and production from outfielders not named Brandon Marsh remains an issue, so expect them to be busy at the trade deadline. [B/R]
Geoff says: Wow, credit to Reuter for not even waiting for the Braves to fully melt down and surrender their NL lead before elevating the Phillies three spots and into No. 2 overall, behind the Dodgers. They actually have the Braves eighth! Also, an important lesson for you future sports writers out there – the use of the word "almost" is essential in journalism, as I wrote on June 1 that it would be "almost impossible" for the Phils to catch Atlanta. That was intentional, OK?
Cristopher Sánchez has cooled off a bit, but Zack Wheeler is back in dominant form. [NY Post]
Geoff says: For some reason, it's flown under the radar how good Wheeler has been since the delayed start to his season as he came back from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery. Wheeler's gem against the Mets on Friday – one run, four hits, seven innings, five Ks – lowered his ERA to 2.03 and WHIP to 0.86. He's been unreal, especially when you consider his K/9 rate is down to 8.8, the lowest it's been since 2020. He's still finding ways to get outs even without overpowering hitters the way he typically did.
The Phillies desperately needed outfield help after Adolis García went down to injury. Enter journeyman Derek Hill, who’s hitting .313 in his 13 games with the Phillies, won the game last Wednesday with a pinch-hit home run and made possibly the catch of the year on Friday. [FOX Sports.]Geoff says: Kavner highlighted an "unsung hero" from each team, so he naturally went with Hill for the aforementioned pinch-hit heroics along with the catch of the year submission. It made me think – who else could be the Phillies' unsung hero? It doesn't seem as if Brandon Marsh's production is "unsung" in Philly, but around the country it might surprise some that he's slashing .321/.353/.510 and already has 12 homers, 42 RBIs, eight stolen bases and 46 runs scored. We'll see if gets his first All-Star berth. He deserves it.
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