Phillies’ Early Offensive Issues Already Feel Too Familiar

Is it too early to press the panic button on the Phillies’ offense? It sure seems like it. Although three games define very little in a 162-game season, it is enough to define a concern.

What was the glaring issue over the past few postseason ends for the Phillies? The offense. And after an offseason of only adding two new faces to the lineup, we are already getting flashbacks of previous offensive disasters last October. 

That is where the Phillies are after the first series against the Rangers. The 1-2 record is not the problem; it is how the Phillies ended up there that makes the first weekend feel more worrying than just a slow start to the season for the hitters.

The Phillies hit just .183 in the three games against Texas, which is the lowest batting average to begin a season for them since 2015. The 2015 Phillies went 63-99. The biggest reason this series felt so flat lies in its reliance on the Phillies’ stars once again. After a .208 average in the 2025 NLDS, the big three of Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper went just a combined 5-for-37 with just one home run, that being Schwarber’s two-run blast in his first plate appearance of the season.

Schwarber has only one hit after his home run, that being a bloop single. On Saturday, he went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. Turner is just 2-for-13 with three strikeouts, and he hit into two double plays on Sunday. Harper has started the season 1-for-11. When the Phillies had a chance with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth in Sunday’s game, Harper struck out on a 1-2 curveball from MacKenzie Gore. 

The top of the lineup, the driving point of the offense, spent most of the weekend with its check engine light on. When those three are producing at consistent levels, it is a threat to pitchers across the league. But when all three go cold at the same time, the lineup feels bleak, and opposing pitchers can attack the middle and bottom of the zone.

That showed up the most with runners in scoring position. The Phillies went 5-for-16 on Saturday and Sunday and finished the series 6-for-22. In other words, most of the weekend was defined by another lingering problem in the offense: empty at-bats and innings that never turned into anything. That is what Turner highlighted on Sunday.

“Everyone wants to get off to a good start, but sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Turner said. “My three best years had a bad spring.”

The Phillies could not get anything going whatsoever for the first five innings in both losses. On Saturday, Jacob deGrom was scratched and replaced by left-hander Jacob Latz. In 15.2 innings in spring, Latz posted an 8.04 ERA, but on Saturday, he went 4.2 hitless innings. The first hit the Phillies got that day was a weak infield single from J.T. Realmuto. They were held to one hit all afternoon, and trailing 3-0 with two outs in the ninth, they staged a rally to tie the game before ultimately falling in extras.

The same came on Sunday, except even worse. The Phillies were blanked by Gore for five hitless innings. The first hit was another weak infield single, this time from rookie Justin Crawford. On Opening Day last year, Gore pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 13 Phillies while only allowing one hit when he was playing for the Nationals, and Sunday felt a lot of the same. 

“Obviously, not the start we wanted to have in a weekend, but we’ll get there,” Harper said on Sunday.

Were the Phillies anxious at the plate?

“Not for myself,” Harper responded. “I don’t think we’re that type of team.”

It’s not that the Phillies failed to capitalize; it’s the fact that it felt way too familiar. There were plenty of opportunities in both weekend games where momentum could’ve been flipped at any point, especially in the middle innings, but that’s when the offense went the most desolate. It’s unreliable in a three-game series when you’re facing three quality pitchers. 

And that is why opening weekend matters more than people want to admit. No, the sky isn’t falling after three games. No, a veteran lineup does not become broken after one rough series. Yes, it is fair to ask whether the Phillies have actually solved the offensive issues that surfaced when their bats disappeared for stretches the past several seasons. 

There is enough talent on this team not to hit the panic button. Turner could have a big week, giving the top of the lineup a sparkplug, Harper could surge into action and reset the middle of the clubhouse with his leadership, Schwarber could go on a home-run hitting streak giving the team some stability, and maybe some of the younger guys like Crawford and Otto Kemp can give you some support near the bottom of the lineup. But until that happens, the Phillies are left with an opening series that feels too early to judge, and one that does nothing to answer their offensive questions.

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