The Philadelphia Phillies have held themselves to a different standard since the arrival of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. They've become a viable playoff contender every season but have fallen just short of reaching their ultimate goal. The Phillies have failed to win it all under Dombrowski, but it could have been much worse, as many can see rival executives failing to even sniff the consistent playoff berths.
Dombrowski was always known to be a bold presence in the front office, never shying away from making a big move. He's done that, and for the most part, it's worked out. On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs are another massive baseball market, with a similar expectation, but have fallen flat on their face with a collapse before even the midpoint of the MLB season.
Phillies fans should be more patient given the current state of the Chicago Cubs
Dombrowski was given the green light to spend money on the roster and has filled the roster with proven winners to give the Phillies an extended championship window. They brought in outside guys like Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, and others to propel the Phillies to winning seasons each of the last four seasons. They had to push the payroll to new heights, surpassing $300 million, but it paid dividends with a World Series berth and two NLCS appearances. Hoyer has been a gut punch for the Cubs' fanbase.
Hoyer has been with the Cubs since 2012, serving as the general manager during their 2016 World Series run. He took over Theo Epstein's position as president of baseball operations in 2021 and has only made the postseason once in the past five years. The Cubs have maintained a top-10 payroll, but the big-money players on the team have lacked the star wattage to break through.
Ironically, both the Cubs and the Phillies experienced a 10-game losing streak early into the 2026 season. The Phillies were already riding a low point among the worst teams in baseball, while the Cubs were leading the MLB in wins. Now the Phillies are well above the .500 mark in a playoff spot, while the Cubs are on the outside looking in and again fighting the narrative that the roster isn't anywhere near the championship caliber it once was.
Phillies fans won't feel absolute satisfaction until they bring home a championship, but there is some solace in the fact that it could be worse off in a situation like the Cubs. Dombrowski hasn't been perfect, but he's gotten us much closer than we could have imagined.
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