April 19, 2026
Kyle Ross/Imagn Images
Kyle Schwarber was a bright spot in an ugly offensive showing this weekend.
The Phillies aren't easy to watch right now.
Good vibes are hard to come by, and save for a Kyle Schwarber two run homer that briefly gave the Phillies an early lead in Game 3 of their three-game series against division rivals the Braves, Citizens Bank Park has felt more like a high school study hall than a vibrant ballpark this weekend.
The Phillies got swept at home, fell to 8-13 and have now lost five games in a row. Are you worried yet?
Below we pinpointed five of the biggest issues this team is currently facing. Which are signs of a potentially failed season ahead? And which are just early, small sample size problems that will work themselves out?
We've provided context from the Phillies-Braves series, and rated each concerning trend from one-to-five alarms (five being the most worrisome):
Back on Monday the Phillies plated 13 runs and the offense looked back on track following a stretch that saw the team get shutout twice and drop three of four on the road. But it was an aberration. Since the Monday explosion against the Cubs, the Phillies have scored 4, 2, 0, 1 and 2 runs in four straight losses.
For those who don't like doing mental math, that's 1.8 runs per game. Entering Sunday, Philly's 3.65 runs per game were the sixth fewest in the majors and their .225 batting clip is also sixth worst. This is starting to feel like more than a blip. The Phillies are too talented not to snap out of it, but the longer this slump lingers the harder their deepening hole will be to climb out of.
Defense doesn't win championships in baseball like it does in football, but a lack of a good support system for pitchers can really make it hard to win.
The Phillies have allowed 12 unearned runs this season, which is among the most in MLB. On Saturday, Cris Sánchez pitched well enough to win, but a rare miscue at second base for Edmundo Sosa kept the Braves alive and eventually three runs crossed the plate.
The Phillies' 15 errors is also among MLB's most, and their defense as a whole is dead last in defensive efficiency (.626 via baseball reference).
This team can overcome defensive miscues when it's hitting. When it's not, the mistakes get amplified.
Even Sánchez, who tossed six solid innings and struck out eight (while surrendering three unearned runs) in the middle game against the Braves couldn't get the Phillies a win, as the flat offense and equally mundane pitching staff continues to flail.
Taijuan Walker set the tone for a long series in the opener, surrendering seven runs in four frames, allowing 10 baserunners. It's never been more plainly obvious that the Phillies absolutely need Zack Wheeler back to take Walker's rotation spot. The plan appears to be that Walker will get at least one more appearance, but he won't take the mound until after an opener starts his next go around in the rotation. Wheeler is expected to get one final minor league tuneup before what could be a demotion to the bullpen for Walker and his unshakable $18 million expiring deal.
Entering Sunday's evening finale, the Phillies entire pitching staff had a combined 4.88 ERA, the second worst in the National League. That stat wasn't helped much by rookie Andrew Painter, who was unable to get out of a fifth inning jam and eventually surrendered a lead that the Phillies' anemic offense was unable to reclaim.
The staff is too good to stay down for long. The clean innings should return.
We already touched on Wheeler, who remains on the IL as he works back from thoracic outlet surgery last fall. Several relievers have joined him on the injured list in the past few days, like Zack Pop, Jonathan Bowlan and Max Lazar.
The team's best reliever was subtracted from the roster Saturday, with Jhoan Duran landing on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain — an ailment the team no doubt is hoping will only keep him out for the minimum allotted time. J.T. Realmuto continues to be banged up early, as he was pulled from Saturday night's game with a back injury.
The team's age was a concern heading into the season and it's clearly going to be an issue all spring and summer as injuries pop up from the veteran ball club.
Yes, the Braves have jumped to a pretty sizable lead, 6.5 games ahead in the NL East. But the rest of the division has been god awful. The Mets have dropped 11 in a row. Neither the Marlins nor the Nationals are a viable threat to make the playoffs.
It's extremely early and the teams likely to vie for a Wild Card spot are grouped tightly. One winning streak will have the Phillies back in the contention picture. They just need to find a way to start one.
They'll play the Cubs again, in Chicago after last week's series loss before a rematch against these Braves in Atlanta next weekend.
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