Phillies Key To Sustaining Success Falls Upon Right-Handed Hitters

Right-handed hitters in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup have been struggling in one key metric.

May 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Trea Turner (7) reacts after lining out against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies deserve a lot of credit for how quickly they turned their season around under interim manager Don Mattingly.

After starting 9-19 under Rob Thomson, which led to him being fired, the team was back at the .500 mark about three weeks later. The first six series played under Mattingly were all wins, but were followed by series losses against the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians.

The Phillies weren’t going to go undefeated the remainder of the season under Mattingly, but if they want to sustain anything near the level of success they have experienced, there is one glaring need the lineup has to overcome: hitting against left-handed pitching.

Shockingly, it isn’t a lineup balancing issue. Philadelphia’s left-handed hitters have handled southpaws well; it is the right-handed hitters, who are supposed to have an advantage against left-handed pitching, who are not getting the job done.

Phillies right-handed hitters struggling mightily against left-handed pitchers

May 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Edmundo Sosa (33) hits an RBI single against the Colorado Rockies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Entering their series with the San Diego Padres on May 25, right-handed hitters on the Phillies had a combined OPS of .586. That was the worst mark in the MLB by eight points and was 111 points away from being at the median.

There has been a stark contrast in performance by a few key regulars in the lineup against southpaws from 2025 to 2026. Edmundo Sosa, Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto are the biggest culprits, with their OPS numbers dropping by 239 points, 235 points and 178 points, respectively.

Alec Bohm has also experienced a drop, but nowhere near as extreme as his teammates, losing 26 points.

The overall numbers got a little worse with Rafael Marchan and Turner being retired by left-handed relief pitcher Yuki Matsui in the opener against the Padres. Bohm was the only right-handed batter Matsui faced who reached base, drawing a walk in the ninth inning.

Winnin' out west#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/sBAxDlTUlF

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 26, 2026

“Our lefties were good against that angle today,” Mattingly said after Parker Messick of the Guardians mowed down Philadelphia, via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). “Our righties have just got to solve that problem.”

The angle wasn’t working against Matsui either, and has been an issue throughout the 2026 campaign. With so many right-handed batters struggling, it has led to Mattingly leaving his left-handed hitters, namely Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, in the lineup more often.

They have found some success against southpaws and should continue to play as long as they perform at a high level.

Right-handed hitting is something the Phillies will certainly be on the lookout for ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

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