AL Executive Believes Phillies Can Still Win NL East

One executive from the American Leage believes that Philadelphia Phillies can still win the NL East

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates win against the San Francisco Giants with first baseman Bryce Harper (3) and third baseman Alec Bohm (28) during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten off to a terrible start to the season, and that has resulted in some early changes. Now, the team will be hoping that there is still time to turn things around. 

Following a (9-19) start to the season, it came as little surprise to see the team fire Rob Thomson. Even though he has been able to win a lot of games for the team, they have fallen short of expectations in the playoffs the last couple of years, and his seat might have been getting a bit warm because of that. 

Despite efforts to try to bring in Alex Cora, the Phillies landed on Don Mattingly to be their new manager. They will be hoping that this change will be able to spark a run and that they can get back into the mix quickly. While it will be an uphill battle, it won’t be impossible for the team to achieve that. 

Recently, in a poll from Mark Feinsand of MLB, the Phillies were not ruled out as a team that could win the NL East. While the Atlanta Braves rightfully received a majority of the votes, there were a couple for Philadelphia. 

“Despite the slow start, you can always expect [the Phillies] to find a way to be a contender come the fall. They have one of the most experienced and impressive lineups in baseball, who have played together for a long time. Once [Zack] Wheeler returns, their rotation is going to be in a good spot.” – AL executive

Phillies Not Out of it Yet

Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Even though things might be looking bleak at this time, there is still a long season to be played. While a start like Philadelphia has put them behind the eight-ball a bit, there is still plenty of time to make a run. 

Fortunately, even though the Atlanta Braves are playing well, the New York Mets, who were seen as top competition as well coming into the year, are not. More than likely, the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals won’t be contenders either in the division, making it very possible for the Phillies to move up quickly. 

While the sample size might be small, the team did receive a jolt in their first game since the firing of Rob Thomson. Jesus Luzardo delivered one of his best starts of an inconsistent season, and the offense also stepped up. 

It is going to take time for the Phillies to be able to work their way back into the hunt, but they do have the tools in place to make it happen.