It’s not easy being an athlete or coach in Philadelphia. The fans expect a certain standard and near perfection day in and day out.
Despite leading the Phillies to three consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the World Series, in his first three seasons as manager, Rob Thomson has been on the hot seat with some fans.
The Phillies have progressively gotten worse in the playoffs since losing to the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series. After winning the NL East for the first time since 2011 last year, the Phillies were eliminated by the New York Mets in the NLDS. Phillies fans’ patience with Thomson has dwindled ever since.
Rob Thomson may never make some Phillies fans happy
Entering Monday, the Phillies are in first place in the division and own the fourth-best record in the majors. Despite being one of the top teams in baseball, Phillies fans have grown frustrated with Thomson.
He has no idea what he’s doing
— Michael Modica (@mike_mo21) June 21, 2025
The Phillies have endured a few rough stretches this season, including losing nine out of 10 games from late May through early June. The recent sweep at the hands of the Astros, in which the offense scored just one run and tallied 15 hits in three games, was also alarming.
Every team is going to experience multiple losing skids throughout a major league season. However, each loss is taken heavily, given how passionate Phillies fans are.
Thankfully the players have won in spite of Rob Thomson, not because of him!!! It’s a shame the Phillies, with one of the largest salary & a competitive team, have a Dollar Store manager. And that moron gets credit?! Let him manage the Pirates or Marlins & see how well he does!
— jaime (@jaime82) June 21, 2025
The Phillies have one of the largest payrolls in the MLB and feature a star-studded roster. Fans expect the players to perform at a high level, but they also expect Thomson to make the right decisions or adjustments when things aren’t working.
Since taking over as the Phillies’ manager during the 2022 season, Thomson owns a .576 winning percentage (299-220). That mark is the fourth-highest in team history, albeit the three managers with a higher winning percentage combined for just 55 games managed, compared to Thomson’s 519 games.
Manuel by light years. Rob looks at his magic 8 ball for a lineup
— Jawn Wick (@JavvnVVick) June 21, 2025
Nobody may live up to the standard that Charlie Manuel set during his time as the Phillies’ manager. The beloved coach owned a .551 winning percentage with the team and helped deliver the franchise’s second World Series championship.
It may be too early to close the book on Thomson, but anything less than a World Series in 2025 won’t go over well with the fans.