With their core still intact, the Philadelphia Phillies came into the 2026 season with high expectations to once again be World Series contenders. Like some other talented teams however, they’ve faltered out of the gate to a 1-3 start to the season.
After a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers on opening day, Philly dropped the final two games of the series. Then, they got clobbered 13-2 by the Washington Nationals on Monday night in their first game of the second series of the year.
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber discussed the shortcomings of the team through the first four games of the season, expressing very little concern about the 1-3 start.
“I think for us, we know we’re that team that can strike back at any time,” Schwarber said. “We showed it there in the second game [against Texas]. It was kind of this slow, slow, slow, then all of a sudden, two outs in the ninth, we put something together. I think the more that we believe in that and the more that we have that identity — I feel like that’s just kind of been our identity throughout my course being here.
We’ve been a team that never really feels like we’re going to be out of it. I think that’s always going to be the belief in ourselves, in our group.”
Schwarber Opens Up on Phillies Struggles to Start Season
Schwarber’s lack of concern says a lot about the confidence of the team. Schwarber himself has had a slow start at the plate, going just 2-for-16 through the first four games.
In fact, it’s been the five players who typically drive the Phillies lineup that have struggled; Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and J.T. Realmuto. The five are a combined 9-for-73 so far.
Schwarber’s message is that struggling just means they all get a chance to build back up to their best versions of themselves.
“It’s not saying that you go status quo, it’s saying that you get to work,” Schwarber said. “You work to keep getting better, keep working to get to that next day, the next at-bat, the next pitch, the next play on defense, whatever it is”
Phillies Looking to Rebound This Week
The good news about baseball is that if you lose the first game of a series, you get two shots at revenge the next two nights. The Phillies will take on the Nationals two more times to finish their season opening home stand before heading west for a six-game road trip.
Picking up at least one win against Washington on Tuesday or Wednesday will do a lot to build momentum back up in their favor. Philly will head to Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies, who look poised for another lost season, giving the Phillies a great chance to grab three wins before heading to San Francisco to finish off the road trip.
The road does get tougher for Philadelphia in April, as it will face the Chicago Cubs seven times and the Atlanta Braves six times in a 13 day stretch.
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