Are the Phillies in the top 10 after winning six series in a row?
The Phillies have won 15 of their last 19 games and can no longer be dismissed as fake contenders who’ve already had their shot. Despite one of the worst starts in franchise history, they’re now back above .500 just as a tough week looms, with home series against the playoff-hopeful Reds and Guardians. So where do they land in national power rankings?
We’ve rounded up several rankings to offer some perspective on how the rest of the baseball world views this team, outside of Philadelphia’s bubble plus my own two cents.
MLB.com: 11th (up from 18th)
Remember when the Phillies’ season was over? That feels like ages ago. They roughed up Paul Skenes on Sunday, capping a phenomenal stretch of 15 wins in Don Mattingly’s first 19 games as manager, and climbed over .500 for the first time since they were 6-5. Even if catching the Braves is out of reach, this team will be in the Wild Card hunt all year.
Evan says: I agree the awful start combined with Atlanta’s hot streak likely cost them the division. They’re still eight games back despite the turnaround. The Wild Card is their path to October, which is ironically how they made their deep playoff runs in 2022 and 2023.
CBS.com: 10th (up from 13th)
Don Mattingly for Manager of the Year? It’s early, but that would be a fun storyline. The Phillies are 15-4 since he took over, going from ten games under .500 to above in less than three weeks.
Evan says: Rob Thomson did nearly the same thing in 2022, leading the Phillies to the pennant, and didn’t win Manager of the Year. He also didn’t have Mattingly’s name recognition.
USA Today: 12th (up from 16th)
After a 9-19 start that got Rob Thomson fired, the Phillies finally climbed into the black with a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh, highlighted by Zack Wheeler’s seven shutout innings outdueling Paul Skenes. At 24-23, they still trail Atlanta by eight games in the NL East, but they can move forward knowing the worst is likely over.
Evan says: The worst is probably behind them. But before sweeping the Pirates, they beat up on the Red Sox, Rockies, A’s, Marlins, and Giants not exactly a murderer’s row. Tougher opponents lie ahead, including over the next few weeks. It won’t all be smooth sailing.
ESPN: 11th (up from 15th)
In one 13-game stretch against just the Cubs and Braves, the Phillies went 2-11, leading to Thomson’s firing. Under Mattingly, they’ve faced the Giants, Marlins, A’s, Rockies, and Red Sox. Still, some slow starters are heating up: In a 14-game stretch, Alec Bohm posted an .833 OPS with nine RBIs in 11 games, Bryson Stott slugged .531 with 12 RBIs, and Brandon Marsh hit .457 to raise his average to an MLB-leading .350.
Evan says: I already griped about the easy schedule, but their awful numbers against lefties are finally normalizing, as are the struggling bats of Bohm and Stott. All very encouraging signs.
Fansided: 10th (up from 14th)
The Phillies keep winning, thanks largely to their pitching. Zack Wheeler looks like his ace self, Jesús Luzardo had a major bounce-back start this week, Christopher Sánchez remains unreal, and even Andrew Painter pitched well. The offense still has issues beyond the ageless wonder Kyle Schwarber, but if the pitching holds up like this, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.
Evan says: Hold on Kyle Schwarber at 33 is an ageless wonder? Really? Is anyone calling 34-year-old Aaron Judge that? Shohei Ohtani is about to turn 32. Isn’t your early thirties just your prime?
Bleacher Report: 10th (up from 13th)
The Phillies are above .500 for the first time since April 7, when they started 6-5. They’ve won six straight series, including an 8-2 road record during this hot streak. Kyle Schwarber hit four more homers last week to become baseball’s first 20-home run hitter in 2026.
Evan says: Schwarber actually hit nine homers in eight games—absolutely wild. I don’t think he’ll reach 70, but he might break Ryan Howard’s Phillies record of 58 set in 2006 (Howard won NL MVP that year, for what it’s worth).
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