The Philadelphia Phillies recently removed the interim manager tag from now full-time manager, Don Mattingly. Mattingly was recently named manager after others were interviewed for the job but the franchise believed he was the best fit to be the full-time manager.
Why Don Mattingly Was the Right Hire but Needs to Address Three Issues
1. Solving Offensive Issues
Mattingly recently made a decision to let go of long-time hitting coach Kevin Long when the offense had shown too much inconsistency most of the year and sputtered out at the wrong time, especially in playoff games. This has been a major reason why the team has not won a playoff series since 2023, so there had to be a change made to be able to shake things up for the offense.
What can help this offense is bringing in a new voice in the dugout that can share new ideas and help the Phillies lineup with the problems that just couldn’t be solved; whether it’s bad coaching or bad habits, it clearly shows something new needs to be done with the offense overall. The other thing is that the offense has a good amount of firepower, which makes it hard to pitch against them at times. Pitching against shortstop Trea Turner, first baseman Bryce Harper, and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is a tall task.
Trading for second baseman Luis Arraez was not nearly enough, as the offense as a whole still couldn’t find a way, even with Arraez on base, to bring him home or anyone else in scoring position. Another thumper would help the lineup and add protection behind someone like Harper, but there is another issue that still is glaring.
Pitchers have found the team’s weaknesses and have exploited them over and over with no real adjustment, with the team not being patient and chasing out of the zone, coming from either the players or the coaches themselves, especially with the high chase rate and strikeouts the team commits.
The team had a .240 batting average for the season, which ranked 16th in Major League Baseball. There is too much thump in that lineup to be that low.
Mattingly has a chance to give this offense a facelift overall again with the help of a new pair of eyes from a new hitting coach. Hopefully the new coach can help out these hitters and possibly solve the power outages that happen to this offense way too often.
2. Fixing Infield Defense
The Phillies had some major defensive issues this season, and again, that bled into the playoffs. The infield was probably the worst overall, as the team did commit a lot of errors and their fielding was not great either, essentially not fielding the ball correctly, making a lot of throwing errors, and just not doing the little things correctly that led to runs scored or more bases being taken or stolen. That is another thing Mattingly has to help out overall.
However, Mattingly has already made a change there as well, parting ways with former infield coach Bobby Dickerson. A change that was needed, due to the fact that the infield was not very good. Now, the organization has hired former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to be the third base coach and to coach the infield. This hire should help the infield overall and fix the issues that were glaring just about all season.
The team was -51 in Defensive Runs Saved, which ranked 30th in MLB
It’s up to the players, Mattingly, and Mendoza, to really make the adjustments and do what it takes to help the team, whether that’s running more infielding drills in spring training, or improving their technique overall to address last year’s porous defense, which was a problem most of the season and again in the playoffs.
3. Figuring Out Bullpen Problems
The Phillies have had a bullpen issue for quite some time and have spent a lot of resources trying to assemble a solid bullpen, whether it’s in the regular season or in the playoffs, but the bullpen has not done well in either. This would also be a job for President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, but it’s also Mattingly’s job to find out the right combination during the game and who is the best for which inning when the starting pitcher comes off the mound.
The bullpen ranked 21st with a 4.43 ERA overall. The team could make those numbers better by signing free agents during the off-season or using in-house options. Right-handed pitcher Alex McFarlane could be an option for the bullpen in high-leverage situations for Mattingly to use. The high-leverage spot was the weak point all season, and McFarlane could be an answer.
It has been a struggle for the Phillies bullpen, whether it’s the unit melting down in the postseason and not getting outs or the bullpen not holding a lead at all.
Main Image: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
