PHILADELPHIA -- For most of the season, people have said the Phillies live and die with their power at the plate.
That is concerning because their slugging percentage (.401) is middle of the pack in the majors. Paired with either the worst or second-worst on-base percentage (.304) before the trade deadline, they seemed to score seldom unless someone was driving the ball near or over the fence.
It is who they were. Low on-base, high(-ish) slug, with a bottom-five strikeout and walk rate. Not a recipe for success.
Fans felt it. Players and coaches felt it. Something had to give. So, they had a meeting. Not the normal ‘let’s go over what this team’s pitchers throw’ meeting; but a meeting to be honest about where things are and why they are not getting the results they are hoping for.
In the last week of July, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kevin Long and his staff gathered and discussed what they felt the team was doing right. Then they turned to the players themselves to figure out why it is not translating.
“They had a pretty good meeting a few weeks ago,” interim manager Don Mattingly said after last night’s victory over Miami. “Just about where we were at and what was going on. I thought it was a good meeting. Since then the approaches have all been good.”
The results on the field changed. Fast. Then they added the contact-oriented Arraez to put the change in approach in overdrive.
Since the start of August, they rank No. 1 in strikeout rate (15.3%) and walk rate (13.3%). Their on-base percentage is tops in the majors at .369 - 15 points higher than the next closest team. Their batting average (.270) and runs scored (87) are both top-three marks across baseball.
You might ask, what about their slugging percentage? Sitting No. 14 at .414. That is just a tick higher than their 16th-best .401 mark on the season overall.
The entire club's approach seemingly flipped overnight. I asked Mattingly to expand on the change in approach.
“It takes each individual guy to have his - what he needs to do to make himself a tough out…It’s really what makes you dangerous as a club, when you keep putting traffic out there. It doesn’t mean we’re taking pitches; it doesn’t mean anything other than you have a good approach and know what you want to do.”
Last night was a perfect example of being dangerous. The Phillies recorded double-digit hits for the 42nd time in their 6-5 victory over the Marlins. 10 of their hits were singles. That’s 90.9% of their hits.
Mattingly said they didn’t address walks specifically in the aforementioned meeting, but it has been a side effect of the renewed approach. The offense drew seven of them last night. They only reached that number in two of their double-digit contests.
In total, Phillies hitters reached base 19 times Monday night. It is the eighth time they reached that threshold in 2026, and the fourth time they have done so since this fabled meeting.
Their renewed approach seems to encapsulate what former manager Rob Thomson used to preach all the time - they are not ‘trying to do too much,’ as he would say. The entire lineup is passing the baton and trusting in their teammates' approach.
If this focus on having the right approach sustains, the Phillies are more dangerous than anyone thought.
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