Donnie Baseball Has Revived the Phillies
The Phillies have been red hot since Don Mattingly took over as manager, and considering how lifeless this club looked beforehand, it’s becoming harder and harder to deny that the change at the top sparked the team we all expected to see in 2026. What a moment!
Since Mattingly stepped into the dugout as manager, the Phillies have gone from one of baseball’s worst teams to one of its hottest nearly overnight.
The Phillies are tied with the Cubs for the most wins in Major League Baseball (8) during Mattingly’s tenure (8-1). According to StatMuse, they rank 2nd in team batting average (.275), trailing only the Brewers, while also sitting tied for 5th in runs scored, 2nd in hits (84), tied for 2nd in doubles (19), tied for 1st in triples (3), tied for 4th in home runs (10), and 5th in OPS (.780).
The pitching staff has been just as dominant. The Phillies own the 2nd-best team ERA in baseball at 2.44, behind only the Rays, while throwing nine more innings (81) than Tampa Bay during that stretch.
It begs a few questions: Is Don Mattingly the greatest manager in baseball history? How is this man not already in the Hall of Fame? Will the Phillies ever lose another series in 2026?
The turnaround has been remarkable, and the Phillies could find themselves back at the .500 mark as early as Saturday- a feat that felt nearly impossible just three weeks ago.
But first, there’s tonight.
Top prospect Andrew Painter takes the mound as the Phillies look to keep their hot run alive and sweep the A's. What a moment! What an incredible moment in the history of time! Prepare the Floats™!
