As embarrassingly bad as the New York Mets have been of late, they're no longer the most dreadful team in the National League East. That unfortunate title now belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies.
With the Mets snapping their 12-game losing streak on Wednesday, the Phillies now own MLB's worst losing streak at eight games and are tied with New York at the bottom of the division. Philadelphia also has the worst run differential in baseball by 15 runs. Not great, Bob.
The longest losing streak in baseball now belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies, who dropped their eighth straight and are tied with the Mets for the worst record in the National League at 8-16. At -50, the Phillies also have the worst run differential in baseball by 15 runs.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2026
Or should we say, "Not great, Rob." Phillies manager Rob Thomson must be going through it right now, with rumors swirling about his job security. At the very least, Thomson got a temporary boost to his psyche when Phillies PBO Dave Dombrowski came out on Tuesday and made clear that Thomson's firing is "not being pondered at this point." Not at this point, huh? So, basically ... maybe soon?
Rob Thomson might not be Phillies' main issue amid skid
Here's a thought -- what if Dombrowski's being fully genuine and Thomson actually isn't on the list of Philadelphia's major issues? What if the players on the field simply aren't getting it done? There's plenty of evidence to back up this theory. The Phils are dead last in defensive runs saved, suggesting that they're simply not locking in on defense (and in failing to do so, betraying a loaded pitching staff).
Similarly, Philadelphia's offense outside of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber has been a complete no-show. Thomson can't insert himself into the lineup and bunt his way on base. Phillies hitters not named Harper or Schwarber have contributed just 11 combined homers through the club's first 24 games. The Phillies have the second-worst team batting average (.220) in baseball, and the fourth-worst team OPS (.653). That's not all on Thomson.
Could Thomson be doing a better job? Certainly. But when a team is underperforming this drastically, there's got to be some accountability from the players amid their inability to execute. We've seen this recently in Queens, as Francisco Lindor and Co. publicly backed Carlos Mendoza while admitting that they themselves (the players) needed to turn things around.
Phillies can get season back on track during weekend series against Braves
This weekend's three-game set in Atlanta offers the Phillies somewhat of a make-or-break moment. A series win would do much to repair morale in the clubhouse (and among the fanbase) and start chipping away at what's already an ugly gap in the standings between Philly and Atlanta.
On the other hand, a series loss -- or worse, a sweep -- would send this situation spiraling into deeper and darker depths. The Phillies first need to win one to snap this streak.
Add us as a preferred source on Google