Phillies Coaching Change Will Lower Panic Meter, for Now

The panic meter is on pause for the Philadelphia Phillies after their managerial change.

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) acknowledges the crowd after win against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Desperately in need of a shakeup after a brutal start to the season, the Philadelphia Phillies made a major change, firing manager Rob Thomson.

It certainly wasn’t an easy thing to do, but it was a necessary change to make. The Phillies needed a spark and are hoping that a change of leadership will help provide one, similarly to when Thomson took over from Joe Girardi in the middle of the 2022 campaign.

Given how things have gone on the field thus far this season, it is fair for some Philadelphia fans to have their panic meter on the rise. Over at ESPN, Jesse Rogers gave the Phillies a 3.5 on the panic meter, which is an appropriate assessment.

Panic will be on a pause for a little while, with the team now having Don Mattingly as an interim manager. He will get a chance to right the ship and see if he can coax better production out of a veteran-laden team than Thomson did.

Panic shouldn't be setting in for Phillies, yet

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) and second baseman Bryson Stott (5) celebrate win against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Any time there is a change of leadership, a honeymoon period follows. The new face leading the way is given some leeway and grace by the fan base, and that will be the case for Mattingly, especially if they get off to a hot start.

In his first game at the helm, Philadelphia dominated the San Francisco Giants, winning 7-0. After losing 10 in a row, they have won two out of their last three, finally showing some signs of life after a brutal stretch.

What made that performance against the Giants all the more encouraging was how it was accomplished. One of the issues through the first month has been starting pitching woes.

Jesus Luzardo fired seven shutout innings, making it two excellent starts in a row after a woeful beginning. Trea Turner had four hits in the leadoff spot to set the tone. Adolis Garcia and Alec Bohm, both of whom have struggled mightily, hit RBI doubles in the game.

Phillies have the talent to turn things around

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) and first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrate after scoring against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

While some of the slow starts are more concerning than others, there is too much talent on this roster for things not to regress to the mean. With Zack Wheeler back from the injured list and closer Jhoan Duran not too far away himself, the pitching staff will start to stabilize and raise the team’s overall success rate.

Viewed as a contender coming into the season, the Phillies have fallen woefully short of expectations. But any team that was as lost as Philadelphia would look bad in a 13-game stretch that was played against only the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, who are 18-12 and 21-9 on the season.

With a softer schedule on the horizon, Philadelphia has a golden opportunity to turn things around rapidly.