Phillies’ hitting coach could be this year’s scapegoat

After another disappointing end to the season for the Philadelphia Phillies, major changes could be coming in Philadelphia. While it appears Rob Thomson’s job is safe and secure, several other big-name coaches are on the hot seat and could see their time with the club coming to an end.

Phillies’ hitting coach Kevin Long could be this year’s scapegoat

Hitting coach Kevin Long could be on his way out as the Phillies' bats went cold yet again when it mattered most in the postseason, per Nathan Ackerman of Phillies Nation.

In 129 at-bats throughout four games, the Phillies lineup mustered just 24 hits and 11 runs, with 14 of those hits coming from three players (Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner). This comes after a dominant regular season in which the team ranked in the top five in the league in runs (fifth), hits (fourth), doubles (fourth), OBP (fifth), and SLG (fifth).

These postseason struggles on the offensive end are nothing new for the Phillies.

In 2023 against the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, the team blew a 3-2 lead and managed just three runs in the final two games of the series. In 2022 in the World Series, the team lost three consecutive games against the Houston Astros after being up 2-1 in the series. In those three games, they scored a combined three runs, including a no-hit shutout in Game 4 at home.

Phillies can only make so many changes to the roster

The odds of a complete roster overhaul following another disappointing postseason are relatively low due largely to the amount of money the Phillies have invested in the core of their lineup.

Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner are all signed through at least 2026 while Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott all have multiple years left of arbitration before they hit free agency for the first time.

While it is a possibility that they can move some of the players still eligible for arbitration, the return for these players will likely be lower than expected due to the uncertainty surrounding their future as they are not locked up for the long haul. 

Due to the payroll structure of the current Phillies team, there is a strong possibility that Kevin Long, and his top assistant coaches (Dustin Lind and Rafael Pena) will be shown the door. While the coaches can only do so much to help a team succeed, the pattern of postseason struggles should prompt the Phillies to take a look at their approach which has not worked out in the postseason against the league’s best teams.

At the same time, it is worth noting that Juan Soto is a free agent and Long could be a factor in a potential move to Philadelphia, given the fact that the pair worked together during their time in Washington. But even then, Soto could still be swayed to come to Philadelphia, even if Long is canned, due to his relationship with Harper and Turner from their time with the Nationals.

The Phillies are no strangers to shaking things up when things aren’t going well. In 2022, the team fired Joe Girardi in his third season when it was clear that the team was underperforming despite the high level of talent.

The team finds itself in the same spot two years later, and ultimately it is up to Dave Dombrowski and company to decide whether this coaching staff is good enough to help this team win a title.

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