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If You Poo-Pooed the First Half of the 2026 Phillies Season, Here’s What You’ve Missed
By Nick Piccone
Published:
I wrote in January I wouldn’t be poo-pooing the Phillies’ 2026 regular season. I’m a baseball fan, but even a casual baseball fan can sometimes appreciate the 162-game stretch that offers us a lot of highlights along the way towards October. While the season didn’t start off promising, as we sit here now, we’re lucky to have quite a few highlights to remember of the first half already.
Sure, there have been the lowlights, as well. Andrew Painter and Aaron Nola struggling right off the bat to curtail the strength of the starting rotation depth. Trea Turner not finding his groove inside the batter’s box nor at the shortstop position. The Phillies needing to fire manager Rob Thomson to get back on track. BUT – there were many good things.
I’ve put together ten of the top first-half moments that you – if you’re one of those just waiting for October – might have missed. Feel free to add your own on social media.
10. Kyle Schwarber smashes two dingers in one inning against the Mets
Remember when the Phillies absolutely destroyed the New York Mets on June 20th, 15-3? Kyle Schwarber hit three bombs, two in the bottom of the third inning.
9. Felix Reyes homers in his first Major League at-bat
Otto Kemp was sent back to the minor leagues in April, and Felix Reyes was called up to take his spot. Down the road, the two swapped spots again, but not before Reyes gave us a cool moment against Chris Sale in his first Major League at-bat on April 18th.
In what will probably be the lone Phillies highlight of the night because they're playing some of the worst baseball we've seen in 2026 by any team, here is Felix Reyes' entire first Major League at-bat that ended with a home run, as called by Scott Franzke pic.twitter.com/DjQeZlYpFu
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) April 19, 2026
8. Sosa and Crawford say “April Fools” to the Nationals
The Phillies looked like they’d eat a loss to the Nationals on April 1st, but Edmundo Sosa and Justin Crawford had other ideas – at the plate and in the field.
I think we have to give some credit to Scott Franzke for this one.
7. Comeback in Pittburgh
The Pirates took a 6-0 and 8-3 lead against the Phillies in Pittsburgh on May 15th. The Phils tied the game in the 9th inning, and cemented an 11-9 win in the 10th.
6. Bryce Harper’s first career cycle
It’s hard to believe Harper has been in the big leagues since 2012 and had not complete a cycle in that time. But he got his first one on June 20th against the Mets – the same game where three Schwarbombs were bursting in air.
5. Reaching 10 games above .500 after being 10 games under .500 before July 1st
The Phillies were the third team in MLB history to go from 10 games or more under .500 to 10 games or more over .500 before its 85th game of the season (’55 Red Sox, ’51 Giants).
4. Zack Wheeler’s return
We were wondering if Zack Wheeler could return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery and be Zack Wheeler. For some, it took one start to alleviate concerns. For others, it took one pitch. He ended the first half striking out 14 Cincinnat Reds and 10 Detroit Tigers, respectively. He is back, folks.
ZACK. WHEELER. pic.twitter.com/VkRs7n9ddF
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) July 12, 2026
Not only did Zack Wheeler return as Zack Wheeler, but he’s got a bit of an attitude this year. And I love it.
And he smiles!? Just give us the trophy now.
3. Derek Hill’s two insane catches
Derek Hill was traded to the Phillies on June 11th and has already become a fan favorite with the way he plays. Robbing a Juan Soto home run with an insane catch on June 26th is going to be hard to beat (stay tuned).
Hill also made a spectacular grab this past weekend in Detroit.
Yeah, I think he likes it here.
2. Three straight improbable comebacks in D.C.
The Phillies lost the first game of a four-game set against the Nationals in June, but they would land perhaps the most heartbreaking three-game stretch punch to the Nationals so far this season by coming up clutch.
June 23rd. Comeback 1. JT. MARSH. STOTT.
June 24th. Comeback 2. BAH GAWD THAT’S DEREK HILL’S MUSIC!
June 25th. Comeback 3. HARPER!
1. Cristopher Sánchez’s 50.2 scoreless innings streak
One player who hated to see the month of May end was Sánchez. On May 27th, he set the franchise record in San Diego after pitching 41.2 innings without allowing a run of any kind to score.
But that wasn’t enough for Sánchez. He threw nine more scoreless innings before the streak came to and end against those same Padres on June 3rd, this time at Citizens Bank Park.
Make no mistake, poo-pooing baseball’s regular season doesn’t make sense, even if you’re a casual fan.
If you enjoyed those clips with Scott Franzke on the call, feel free to read this fantastic write-up by The Inquirer‘s Matt Breen, showcasing why I do what I do. (gift link)
And let’s get ready for the second half. We’ve got a trophy to win.
Nick Piccone has covered Philly sports and events for over 15 years with various outlets, including PhillyVoice.com and PhillyInfluencer.com. In 2015, he co-launched the Straight Shooters Podcast, focused on covering the professional wrestling industry. He was a producer at Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and currently produces broadcast and social media content for the Villanova Sports Radio Network. He grew up in South Philadelphia and South Jersey, and is a graduate of Neumann University. Contact: picconenick@gmail.com