{"id":19396,"date":"2026-05-17T11:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T18:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=19396"},"modified":"2026-05-17T11:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T18:14:00","slug":"phillies-turnaround-manager-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2026\/05\/17\/phillies-turnaround-manager-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillies Series Wins after Managerial Change in 2026 Redefine a Season on the Brink"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> were 9\u201319 and tied for baseball\u2019s worst record on April 28 when president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski dismissed manager Rob Thomson<\/a><\/strong>. Bench coach Don Mattingly<\/a><\/strong> took over hours before a home game against the San Francisco Giants<\/a>. From that point forward, the season flipped. The Phillies won five straight series, climbing from ten games under .500 to the edge of even and into second place in the NL East. Their surge shows how Phillies series wins after a managerial change in 2026 transformed a season on the brink into a playoff chase.<\/p>\n

Measuring the Turnaround in Phillies Series Wins after Managerial Change in 2026<\/span><\/h3>\n

Under Thomson, the Phillies went 9\u201319 with a run differential of minus\u201147, and their playoff odds fell to 14.1 percent. Trea Turner<\/a><\/strong> hit .233 through the first month, and Alec Bohm<\/a><\/strong> struggled so severely he was benched for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n

Since Mattingly\u2019s first game, however, the numbers tell a different story. The Phillies posted a 12\u20134 record through May 15, and their run differential turned positive. The rotation \u2014 led by Zack Wheeler<\/a><\/strong>, Andrew Painter<\/a><\/strong>, and Jes\u00fas Luzardo<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 dominated. They held the Boston Red Sox<\/a> to two earned runs across 18 1\/3 innings in a three\u2011game sweep at Fenway Park. For the month of May, Phillies pitchers recorded a 3.23 ERA, fueling the team\u2019s rapid climb.<\/p>\n

How Schwarber, Pitching, and the Stars Aligned<\/span><\/h3>\n

No player symbolized the turnaround more than Kyle Schwarber<\/a><\/strong>. He homered in seven straight games and launched his league\u2011leading 18th home run on May 14. That blast broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning against Red Sox left\u2011hander Tyler Samaniego<\/a><\/strong> and secured the Phillies\u2019 fifth straight series win.<\/p>\n

Schwarber\u2019s underlying metrics backed up the production. His barrel rate reached 23.2 percent, his average exit velocity sat at 92.7 mph, and his expected slugging percentage was .557. He wasn\u2019t benefiting from luck \u2014 he was driving the baseball with authority.<\/p>\n

The rest of the lineup began to heat up as well. Brandon Marsh<\/a><\/strong> carried a 12\u2011game hitting streak into mid\u2011May. Bohm returned from his benching with a three\u2011hit, two\u2011homer performance against the Colorado Rockies<\/a>, signaling that Mattingly\u2019s accountability message resonated. Bryson Stott<\/a><\/strong> added timely hits, and Bryce Harper<\/a><\/strong> remained steady with a .281 average and ten home runs.<\/p>\n

Mattingly simplified the approach, allowing the roster\u2019s talent to take over. As a result, the bullpen stabilized. Jos\u00e9 Alvarado<\/a><\/strong>, Orion Kerkering<\/a><\/strong>, and Jhoan Duran<\/a><\/strong> formed a dominant late\u2011inning trio. The defense improved, too \u2014 Turner made a run\u2011saving diving stop in the hole at Fenway Park, preserving a scoreless tie that set the stage for Schwarber\u2019s decisive homer.<\/p>\n

The Phillies also became the first team since the 2005 New York Mets<\/a> to win five straight series immediately after losing six in a row. Their playoff odds jumped from 14.1 percent to more than 27 percent in merely 18 days. A club that could not win a series suddenly could not lose one. The Phillies series wins after a managerial change in 2026 turned a collapsing season into a legitimate October pursuit.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo:<\/h4>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>