With the playoff push well underway, and arguably the biggest regular-season series coming up this weekend against the National League East's first-place club the Atlanta Braves, fans across the country are starting to fine-tune their mental playoff rosters, tweaking things to set 2026 up to officially be the year the core of this team crosses that finish line.
After a tough, playoff-like series loss to the Houston Astros (giving a traumatic throwback to 2022) to finish out the team's homestand, the Phillies are looking to flip the script and shake off their weary offensive performance with a much-needed series win against the division's first-place team, sitting four games back from first.
While some will probably be out here thinking about the fact that if the Phillies had won Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Astros, which they almost did until fatigue set in yet again in the later innings, then the team could be going into this series against Atlanta looking to tie for first after a hypothetical series sweep. That might've necessitated a different roster group for a best-of-five NLDS instead of a three-game Wild Card set.
As mentioned, fatigue in the season's latter months seems to be killing the production of many of the team's everyday players, both seasoned vets and rookies alike. The September roster expansion to 28 couldn't have come at a better time for a sleepy Phillies team, with catcher Rafael Marchán being reinstated from the 10-day injured list and right-handed reliever Grant Holman providing some much-needed variety for interim manager Don Mattingly.
Which Phillies will best round out the team's playoff roster after September Call-Ups?
But as the Phillies look ahead to October baseball, the question is which two men from the team's current expanded roster will be optioned back down to the farm. From fine-tuning the bullpen to ensuring the right spark plugs come off the bench in clutch situations, it's just two players; the impact of which two will be sent down could alter the chemistry of the team as they forge a path to the Fall Classic, especially with the new look of the Phillies infield playing much better than many expected.
This is how the offense and lineup should look heading towards October, after a few final Don Mattingly tweaks.
Phillies' Ideal Playoff Lineup
- 1. DH Kyle Schwarber (L)
- 2. SS Trea Turner (R)
- 3. RF Bryce Harper (L)
- 4. 2B Luis Arraez (L)
- 5. 1B Alec Bohm (R)
- 6. LF Brandon Marsh (L)
- 7. 3B Bryson Stott (L)
- 8. C J.T. Realmuto (R)
- 9. CF Justin Crawford (L)
Not much has changed here from the majority of the second half of the regular season, since the trade deadline at least. The key difference-maker in terms of the position players/offense will be who rides the bench during Red October. The lineup seems solved.
Bench
- UTIL Edmundo Sosa
- C Rafael Marchán
- OF Derek Hill
- "UTIL" Garrett Stubbs
Without a doubt, the clutch kings of the Phillies bench, Edmundo Sosa and Derek Hill, have proven throughout the entire 2026 regular season that they deserve to be a part of the Phillies' postseason push. In addition to their on-field heroics, they also provide the majority of the everyday guys a chance to rest, if needed, while being the heartbeat of the clubhouse.
For about a season and a half, the Phillies have tried gaslighting fans into believing Garrett Stubbs is a "utility player" to justify keeping him on the big league roster. While he is probably the last person you'd want to bat in a dire situation, especially during the postseason, given how much time J.T. Realmuto has needed to sit out due to injury (or as a precaution to injury), it could be wise to have both Marchán and Stubbs on the bench, at least for the first round series.
After how the 2026 season started, many didn't think the Phillies would be fortunate enough to be thinking about October baseball. Two different managers at the helm, plagued by the same inconsistencies, have made it clear that the Phils' worst enemy this season will be, as usual, themselves. With the drive of playoff baseball hopefully recharging this team as the season winds down, a cohesive unit that enjoys playing together will be all that these talented players will need to bring the World Series trophy home.
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