Phillies' New Projected Win Total Highlights Great Turnaround

What is the new projected win total for the Philadelphia Phillies

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (8) on the field before game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, and the team is continuing to play at a very high level. 

After a slow start to the season, the Phillies have been on quite a tear since they changed their manager. The decision to fire Rob Thomson has proven to be the right move, even if the struggles might not have all been his fault. 

The veteran group in Philadelphia seemingly needed a wake-up call, and seeing their manager get fired did the trick. Don Mattingly has done a really good job since taking over, and the Phillies are showing no signs of slowing down. 

What might have been overlooked a bit during the slow start was the team missing Zack Wheeler. Even though there was still a good amount of talent in the unit with him out, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and his absence clearly had an impact on the team. Now, with the season over a third of the way done, the Phillies are projected to be one of the top teams in the league. 

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN recently wrote about how many wins the Phillies might get this year. On the projections, they were at 86.6, which would be a fantastic turnaround. 

Philadelphia Trending Upward

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The projected win total of 86.6 was the eighth-best in the league and a very encouraging sign for the team. Considering the Phillies started the year with a (9-19) record, they are now six games over .500 at (37-31) following a win and a series win against the Toronto Blue Jays. 

While Philadelphia has been playing very well, help will be needed to improve a couple of areas. The lineup seems like the most likely spot that the Phillies will look to add at least one bat. If the team is able to add an impact bat before the trade deadline, that could also make their projected win total increase. 

Even though the Phillies are playing much better, the National League is shaping up to be very challenging. The Los Angeles Dodgers will be a major threat as the two-time defending champions. Also, within their own division, the Atlanta Braves are playing excellently. 

Overall, seeing Philadelphia put themselves in as good a position as they have is quite impressive. However, there is still work to do for them to reach their ultimate goal.