Interim manager Don Mattingly likes the direction the Philadelphia Phillies are headed in the right direction.
The Philadelphia Phillies knew that they had to make a change after a troubling, slow start.
On April 28, when the Phillies were 10-19 and third in the National League East, the organization made the somewhat controversial decision to relieve manager Rob Thomson of his duties and name Don Mattingly as interim skipper.
Whether Thomson’s firing sparked a sense of urgency in the team, a new message and voice from Mattingly, a potentially easier schedule, or any other reason, the Phillies have completely turned around their season over the last two weeks.
Since Mattingly took over as skipper, the Phillies have a 10-3 record and are back to second place in the division.
Just like that, Philadelphia has turned its season around and is right back in the ever-competitive playoff hunt, and Mattingly recently got honest about where his team is currently at.
"You know, I feel like we're going in the right direction now,” Mattingly said.
“We started off a little sideways, kind of regulated. Pitching has kind of normalizing. Our starters and bullpen has been good. We're catching the baseball better now. The at-bats are getting better… I think it's kind of normalizing. It would have happened no matter what, but in my profession -- it's good."
May 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manger coach Don Mattingly (8) walks off the field after making a pitching change against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesMattingly’s message to the team after he took over as manager was that they simply needed to play better. As the manager pointed out on Sunday, the team really is doing just that.
Since April 28, the Phillies own a .794 OPS, which is tied with the New York Yankees for the second-highest in all of MLB over that stretch. Philly is even leading baseball with 19 home runs since the end of April, in large part thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s hot stretch.
Just as the bats have turned their misfortune around, so has the pitching staff. The Phillies staff overall owns a 3.40 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The team continues to look more and more like the 90-win squad they were not too long ago.
While the Phillies have undoubtedly turned their season around, there’s still more work that needs to be done. If the season ended on Monday, Philadelphia would not be in the playoffs and remain 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
Mattingly is correct: the Phillies are headed in the right direction, but the team's mindset can’t be content; it must keep its foot on the gas.
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