Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Two NL East teams started the season 9-19, but only one has found sustained success since.
- One team made a bold managerial change while the other stuck with its existing leadership, with clear results on the field.
- The gap in starting pitching depth and star power has created a widening divide that could shape both teams' playoff hopes.
Both the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets began their seasons with subpar 9-19 records, leading to panic from their fan bases. Both teams have rebounded since, playing above .500 baseball, yet it feels like they're headed in opposite directions. This weekend's three-game set between the clubs proved that.
The Phillies took two of three from New York, winning the final two games of the weekend in dominant fashion. The Phillies are now 42-35, good for sole possession of the top Wild Card spot in the National League, while the Mets are 34-43, pushing closer towards selling at the trade deadline. While these teams are remarkably similar in some ways, there are a couple of factors that stand out to explain why Philadelphia's season has turned around in a way the Mets' hasn't.
The Phillies fired their manager, while the Mets didn't
Whenever anything goes wrong, for better or worse, fan bases clamor for the manager to get fired, even when most of the time they are doing little to nothing wrong. Well, one team made the switch, while the other preaches patience, and the results couldn't be more stark.
The Phillies fired Rob Thomson when they were 9-19, and they've gone 33-16 since under Don Mattingly. Not much has changed under Mattingly outside of players simply playing better, but the facts are the facts. On the flip side, the Mets have held onto Carlos Mendoza, and while they, too, have been better since their rough start, they haven't been nearly as good as Philadelphia has.
I don't think Mendoza deserves much blame for where the Mets are, but sometimes, you need to make a move just to show that what's going on is completely unacceptable. The Phillies responded as well as a team possibly can to a firing, while the Mets, under the same leadership, remain in search of their season-saving run.
The Phillies' rotation is leaps and bound above the Mets
Elite starting pitching goes a long way, and the Phillies are a prime example of that. Philadelphia entered Sunday's action with a 3.36 rotation ERA since Thomson's firing, good for fourth in the majors. This is in spite of some mostly horrific work from Andrew Painter and Aaron Nola, and some uneven starts from Jesus Luzardo. The dynamic duo of Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler has been completely unstoppable, as the Mets learned in this series.
Sanchez allowed one run in six innings on Saturday, and is in the thick of the NL Cy Young race with a 1.80 ERA in a league-leading 105 innings of work. Wheeler also allowed just two runs in his outing and has an ERA just a shade above 2.00 on the year, fresh off an injury.
Meanwhile, the Mets' 5.01 rotation ERA since the date of Thomson's firing is the third-worst in the majors, and they've gotten the third-fewest innings from their starters as well. Their bullpen has been mostly awesome, but what good does that do when your starters put you in a tough spot?
The Mets hoped their rotation would be improved following their 2025 collapse, and it was in the beginning of the year, but whether it's been injuries or inconsistency, the Mets' rotation is nowhere near good enough.
The Phillies' lineup features the star power the Mets are missing
The Phillies have played well, but that doesn't mean they don't have their share of flaws. Trea Turner is having an abysmal year, they're far too left-handed and top-heavy, and their outfield beyond Brandon Marsh leaves a lot to be desired. What the Phillies do have, though, is immense star power.
Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs in this three-game series and has 29 on the year, four more than anybody else. Brandon Marsh is sixth in the majors in batting, flourishing as an everyday player. Bryce Harper is proving that he is still very much elite by hitting for a cycle this weekend and posting an OPS just a shade below .900. That's quite the star-studded trio, and it's one the Mets cannot match.
Juan Soto is doing his best, putting up the kind of numbers you'd expect, but who else in the Mets' lineup scares you? Bo Bichette has been better lately, but his OPS is still well below .700. Francisco Lindor has played in just 24 games, and none since late April. Even guys like Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. haven't played since April.
Neither of these teams has much depth in their lineups, but the Phillies have three players performing at a star level, while the Mets have one. That difference has been noticeable all season, and in this weekend, in particular.
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