Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber apologized to Rob Thomson amid Don Mattingly’s savage message

The Philadelphia Phillies squandered a prime opportunity to earn their second straight World Series appearance in 2023, losing at home versus the Arizona Diamondbacks in Games 6 and 7 of the National League Championship Series. They were upset by the New York Mets in 2024 and then suffered elimination in agonizing fashion versus the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. Following all this October heartbreak, manager Rob Thomson entered 2026 with little leeway.

A 6-2 loss versus the Atlanta Braves on April 26 plunged the team to a 9-19 record and marked the end of his tenure with the franchise. The Phillies named bench coach Don Mattingly interim skipper, and the former New York Yankees great immediately sent a strong message to the team. He placed the blame on the players’ shoulders, leaving the clubhouse to reflect on Thomson’s unfortunate dismissal, as revealed by catcher J.T. Realmuto on The Athletic’s Starkville podcast.

Kyle Schwarber wholeheartedly agreed with the assessment and personally apologized to his former manager. “You feel responsible,” the 2025 NL MVP runner-up said, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. “I told him I was sorry.”

Mattingly did not seek to make sweeping changes, and Schwarber does not think much is different in terms of approach. Players were simply not getting the job done. Rob Thomson’s firing was the wake-up call the Phillies needed to truly understand the consequences of vastly underachieving. Tough decisions can sometimes save a season, though.

Philadelphia (38-33) is now in possession of second place in the NL Wild Card standings. A locked-in Schwarber is an integral part of this resurgence. He is batting .247 with an MLB-leading 24 home runs (tied with Yordan Alvarez), a .363 on-base percentage, .568 slugging percentage and .930 OPS. Besides illustrating his offensive prowess, those numbers show the level of urgency the 33-year-old left-handed hitter is operating with since Thomson’s exit.

However, the Phillies’ lineup as a whole remains extremely inefficient, ranking in the bottom-three in OPS, batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored. Kyle Schwarber will try to keep the team on the right trajectory, for he knows the negative effect that a rough stretch can have on members of the organization.

The three-time All-Star already took accountability for Philly’s previous struggles. Fans should expect him to do the same if this group swerves off course again.

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