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Phillies predicted to re-sign Kyle Schwarber.
A brand new MLB season is right around the corner. Some teams are going to enter the season with a lot of pressure, as is always the case. Not only is there pressure on players, but also on managers. Just ask the Philadelphia Phillies.
One manager who has some pressure on him beginning in 2026 is Rob Thomson of the Phillies. He has had a successful run with Philadelphia. He took over in early June of 2022 for Joe Girardi and went 65-45, leading the Phillies to the World Series. They lost in six games to the Houston Astros.
The last three seasons, he has won at least 90 games a year and finished last season with 96 and the National League East Division title. They got a bye in the wild-card round, but were bounced in the Divisional Round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is back to begin a fourth full season, or at least he hopes it will be a full season.
Philadelphia Phillies Manager Rob Thomson Begins Season on the Hot Seat
After winning 96 games last year and being bounced by the Dodgers, it didn’t sit well in Philadelphia. There was some roster turnover this offseason, including left-hander pitcher Ranger Suárez leaving for the Boston Red Sox in free agency. The Phillies also cut ties with long-time outfielder Nick Castellanos.
Philadelphia brought back Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto. They are replacing Castellanos with Adolis Garcia from the Texas Rangers after he was non-tendered. Dayn Perry of CBS Sports listed six managers beginning the season on the hot seat, and Thomson was one of them.
“Thomson and his steady hand have piloted the Phillies to four playoff berths in as many seasons, two straight division titles, and a pennant in 2022. That said, the core is aging and there’s a bit of a staleness surrounding the organization as Dave Dombrowski’s laudably consistent efforts to maintain a winning roster may have reached their upper limits. Will all this mean danger for a manager who’s won 58% of his games? That’s possible, especially if multiple key Phillies start showing their age all at once. The opening months of the 2026 season could be critical for Thomson, who’s inked through 2027,” Perry wrote.
Perry is right. The roster that Dave Dombrowski has put together going into the season is not a young one. It’s a veteran one that, in the overall big picture, needs to stay healthy.
Rob Thomson Needs a Strong Start To the Season
Philadelphia is predicted by Vegas to finish in second place in the NL East this season. The New York Mets are the common favorite across various betting sites. Like the Phillies, the Mets went through some changes this offseason. However, it feels like they made better additions than the rest of the division.
Philadelphia’s schedule is one where they can build a lot of momentum early, against some teams not expected to have great seasons. If Thomson is going to survive, getting off to a fast start with that schedule is a must. There is some travel involved, but with the division getting better, the pressure is going to be on early in the season.
Scott Roche Scott Roche covers college football, NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com and has three decades of sports writing, covering everything from college to professional sports. More about Scott Roche
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