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The Philadelphia Phillies have had quite the roller coaster of a 2026 MLB season. They began 9-19, and then fired Rob Thomson to try to stop the bleeding.
It worked; they rebounded and got back into the postseason conversation. But a brutal July brought about some serious questions with this team. August completely answered those questions, however, and the Phillies are now headed in the right direction.
Following their strong August, where they went 21-7, the Phillies got some lofty praise from ESPN's Jesse Rogers. It came in the form of a five-word comment that Phillies fans will love to hear: "Philly is back on track."
Phillies are 'back on track' after 21-7 August
"The Phillies closed the gap in the NL East and helped to solidify themselves in the Wild Card race," Rogers writes. "... But a nine-game win streak, which included some dramatic wins, helped the Phillies' cause. And they did it all without a very good month from ace Zack Wheeler. Philly is back on track."
Being "back on track" for the Phillies means one thing: they're a legitimate World Series contender. While it looked bleak earlier in the season, and even as recently as July, August has completely changed the narrative around this team.
Going 21-7 in one month is very impressive on its own, but with the added context of Zack Wheeler's struggles, it makes their 2026 August performance all the more impressive.
Luis Arraez, Brooks Raley, and prospect call-up Alex McFarlane have been a huge help to the Phillies this month as new faces on the roster.
Aaron Nola has rebounded, and Andrew Painter looks much better than he did to begin the season. Alec Bohm has turned things around, Bryson Stott is playing better than ever, and Bryce Harper just had one of the best months of his MLB career.
MORE: Edmundo Sosa's Grand Slam gives Phillies crazy home-run statistic for 2026 season
Even Edmundo Sosa, Derek Hill, and Bryan De La Cruz, their bench pieces, have been making serious contributions, most notably during their recent come-from-behind wins.
The new-look lineup and fielding setup with Arraez in the fold drew some serious, and warranted, questions. But they've passed with flying colors through the first month of this experiment.
Philadelphia is back and playing some incredible baseball. It's a good time to do it, as the postseason is now just one month away.
If this Phillies team plays as they have in August throughout September and into October, they're going to have a very real chance at winning it all. And they've done this without Wheeler, Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, and others putting together good performances.
The NL East and the Atlanta Braves are just 4.0 games away entering September, and they hold a 5.0-plus game lead on the NL Wild Card field and are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card seed. As Rogers noted, the Phillies are back.
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