The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot of work to do with their roster this offseason to rise to the ranks of a contender in the National League.
Offensively, the Phillies were a major disappointment in 2026. Manager Don Mattingly is hoping that he can help change the team’s approach, producing more in line with what Philadelphia accomplished in August than the rest of the season.
Down years from shortstop Trea Turner and catcher J.T. Realmuto certainly didn’t help, especially with the outfield producing, as a collective, underwhelming results. The pressure is on Dave Dombrowski to find some help, whether it is via trade or free agency.
However, some internal improvements could come from a revamped analytics department. As Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb have shared on The Athletic (subscription required), the Phillies have a massive staff of at least 40 people in their analytics department.
Phillies leaning more into analytics to improve on-field results
Dan Aucoin was promoted in August to run the research and development team, which aids in solving issues on the field and scouting opponents. Dombrowski is confident in Aucoin and the people he has brought in.
“He’s hired some quality people,” Dombrowski said of Aucoin. “They supply good information that we are looking to improve upon. But I think they’re very good. I think that they really have a good foundation.”
Philadelphia has found success in some areas of the game with analytics. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham has worked side by side with them to create game plans for his guys, and the results have been fantastic.
It is something Dombrowski added, making a very telling comment about the direction the franchise could be going in.
“For example, they work with (pitching coach) Caleb (Cotham) all the time, right? Well, from the pitching perspective, we’re known as being very progressive. So I think it’s not only how you get the information, but then how other people want to use it, too. That is information we need to do a better job at using. That’s not the analytic people’s fault. It’s something we need to do a better job at emphasizing ourselves.”
Phillies incorporating analytics into defense
Carlos Mendoza, the former manager of the New York Mets who was hired to replace Bobby Dickerson as the infield coach, was told when hired that he would be working closely with the analysts in an effort to improve the team’s defense.
The thought process is to mix more of that data into the fielding decisions they make. A similar approach will almost certainly be brought to the lineup, where hitting coach Kevin Long is being replaced.
Plenty of work has been done in the cages, but the results haven’t always translated. Having a coach who can incorporate that work into on-field results is important.
Changes in how the analytics department is used could help raise the Phillies’ level of performance and lead to more victories on the field.
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