What record did Rob Thomson have?

Thomson leaves after Phillies’ 9–19 start

Rob Thomson was fired after the Phillies opened the 2026 season with an MLB-worst 9–19 record through 28 games, tying Philadelphia with the Mets for the lowest mark in the majors at the time of the decision.

In the pool, the firing is consistently tied to that early-season performance and the lack of momentum that followed. One report characterizes the situation as the Phillies losing 11 of their last 12 games, underscoring that the team’s struggles weren’t a short blip but a sustained slide.

While Thomson’s overall tenure included success—he had previously produced four straight postseason appearances—this season’s results quickly outweighed past achievements. The Phillies’ record put the team in a difficult position relative to playoff expectations so early that ownership decided the risk was too high.

The managerial change came with an immediate replacement plan: Don Mattingly was named interim manager through the 2026 season, giving the organization a new leadership voice while it tries to stabilize.

What the numbers mean for the team is straightforward: a 9–19 pace makes climbing back toward contention substantially harder, because it compresses the margin for error once April games turn into May and beyond. The decision therefore reflects the Phillies’ conclusion that waiting for performance to “turn around” without structural changes was no longer acceptable.

In effect, Thomson’s final record with Philadelphia in the 2026 season was the 9–19 start, and the firing marked a fast organizational response to that level of performance.