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The 2026 Phillies Season is Over
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
The Phillies season is over, and Thursday night’s winner-take-all game never felt competitive.
Aaron Nola allowed a 3-run blast to Michael Harris II in the first inning, and the Phillies could never claw back. I’ll have more thoughts tomorrow for ya right here at Crossing Broad, but for now, here are some notes on the last Phillies game of the 2026 season; a 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series.
1. Aaron Nola just didn’t have it in the first inning
While Aaron Nola was the only option on normal rest for the Phillies, Don Mattingly and the Phillies ran a risk. This is Nola’s 44th appearance against the Braves. They know him all too well. Nola did not have his command in the first inning, walking Ronald Acuna Jr and Matt Olson to put two on for Michael Harris II.
Nola threw Harris II a sinker well below the zone, and he golfed one over the fence to give the Braves an early 3-0 lead.
2. The Phillies made a mistake before this game even started
The Phillies should’ve started Garrett Stubbs and pulled him for JT Realmuto the second that Nola was out of the game. Nola has a 2.82 ERA with Stubbs across 70.1 innings, allowing 9 home runs. He has a 5.14 ERA with Realmuto across 75.1 innings, allowing 21 home runs. It was an obvious decision, even though it would’ve came off as bold.
The pushback was Garrett Stubbs having to take an at-bat in a do-or-die game. What’s poetic about it all? Aaron Nola didn’t even make it to Realmuto’s first at-bat.
Sure, starting Stubbs would’ve been a little crazy. But Aaron Nola’s best was more important than 1 at-bat from JT Realmuto.
3. Ray Kerr was awesome against the Phillies…again
Ray Kerr faced the Phillies three times this season; the Phillies went 3 for 31 against him.
- 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
- 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
- 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
He had the Phillies completely off-balance tonight. 5 whiffs, 2 strikeouts, and 1 walk on 47 pitches.
4. A 5-run deficit felt like 10
When the Phillies went down 3-0, it felt like the game was already over. When they went down 5-0, it really felt like the game was over.
That describes the Phillies offense. They played hero ball on Wednesday, but Thursday showed who they were all season. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper got some really big hits this series, and it really won’t end up mattering that much once it’s all said and done.
The Phillies were a below average offense all season. The past four seasons, no matter what you eye test has said, statistically, they’ve been a Top 10 offense. That was not the case this year. This series really showed who they were offensively all season.
5. What a boring baseball game
I wish I wasn’t sitting here telling you this was a boring do-or-die, winner take all baseball game…but it was. The Phillies offense was dead pretty much all night. Other than two home runs, the Braves offense didn’t really do much either. This isn’t one of those games where I’ve got 15 points for ya. It all came down to the problems we’ve been talking about for the last 165 games.
The Phillies, with their backs against the wall, had to rely on Aaron Nola on “4 days rest” and Zack Wheeler on 3 days rest. They have two bullpen arms that they truly trust in big spots, and neither of them ever had a chance to pitch with a lead on Thursday night.
Final thoughts
It’s tough to think about where this series could’ve gone if the Phillies took care of business two weeks ago. They were 5 games up on the Arizona Diamondbacks with 8 games to go, and that ended with Zack Wheeler on the mound in a must-win Game 162. The Phillies didn’t make it easy on themselves, but that’s nothing new.
Where does this series go if Zack Wheeler pitches Game 1 with most starters on normal rest? I don’t really know. The Phillies still only had two reliable bullpen arms, and one of them was in Double-A three months ago. But time is running out for what-ifs. Zack Wheeler, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber aren’t getting any younger.
This season felt like it was in limbo on Opening Day. They went into this season with the same problems they’ve always had. The President of Baseball Operations questioned if his star first baseman was still elite. While that elite player overcame adversity on Wednesday afternoon on the biggest stage with a titanic game-tying blast, the biggest bullpen trade deadline acquisition rode the pine in a Wild Card series.
Improvements need to be made, and changes need to happen. There will most likely be a new manager to start 2027, and the roster will not be the same.
I give the Phillies credit for fighting on Wednesday afternoon. They fought in a time where a lot of people thought they’d rollover and go home.
Not everybody on this roster had a good year…in fact, not many of them put together a full above average season. But look at the numbers. This isn’t a World Series contender. This was never a “true” World Series contender, and that starts at the top of the organization.
Luke Arcaini has been writing about the Phillies for 6 seasons, and is now in his 2nd year covering for Phillies down at Citizens Bank Park for Crossing Broad. Follow him on Twitter @ArcainiLuke