Is Rob Thomson on the Hot Seat After Brutal Start?

The Philadelphia Phillies have been lifeless through much of their first 20 games of the 2026 season, causing many to call for the team to make changes.

The team had a chance to make changes during a quiet offseason, but chose to run it back with many of the same players who have been in Philly for their four consecutive playoff runs from 2022-2025.

Now, the same players they relied on to reach that success are starting to fail them as age creeps its way into the conversation.

Repeating the 2022 Script: Is History Set to Repeat?

If ya can't change the players, and something has to change, typically teams will look at the manager, with hopes a new voice will create some excitement in the clubhouse. It happened in 2022, when the Phillies decided to move on from Joe Girardi after a 22-28 start to the season on June 3.

From Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic:

Girardi in 2022 got 51 games. Thomson is at 21 and counting. Something needs to change in this team’s performance, and soon.

The Phillies replaced Girardi with Rob Thomson and made a run all the way to the World Series before falling short against the Houston Astros.

Since that World Series loss, the Phillies have been a better regular-season team, but have been bounced from the playoffs one round earlier each year.

Statistical Breakdown: A Slumbering Offense and Shaky Rotation

Now the team is off to a slow start, 8-13, following a 2-9 homestand, its worst since 2000, and one of the issues is that its offense is in a slumber, as our friend Jeff Kerr points out, the lineup from 4-8, no matter how they are stacked, has been horrendous.

So if you can't change the players, you usually change the manager, which is something Rosenthal says could be on the table.

Projecting calm is one of Thomson’s strengths, and the team in December extended him through 2027, partly with that in mind. But owner John Middleton is sensitive to fan reaction. And Dombrowski has shown he will not hesitate to act if he believes a change is necessary.

If the team is hitting and isn't pitching up to expectations, the manager can only do so much.  However, if the team is tuning him out, with the same messaging, it might be something the team will explore.

Thomson is a polarizing guy; his laid-back nature is not for everybody, but the team has won 90, 95, and 96 games with him as the manager over the past three seasons, and made a run to the World Series in his first season. Philadelphia fans like to see fire and passion, and if the team isn't performing on the field, they often look to the manager as the reason why.

Potential Successors: Mattingly and Wathan Waiting in the Wings

The article mentions Don Mattingly and Dusty Wathan as potential in-house options to replace Thomson.

They could replace Thomson with their first-year bench coach, Don Mattingly, who previously managed the Dodgers and Miami Marlins.

It’s not known whether Mattingly would want the job. His son Preston is the Phillies’ GM, creating a potentially awkward situation. Thomson’s staff includes other possible replacements, starting with third-base coach Dusty Wathan.

Would firing Thomson be fair?  Not really.  However, it's likely the only move the organization can make with the current contracts they have in place.