The Philadelphia Phillies’ postseason ended in heartbreak after a tense 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a defeat that not only crushed their World Series hopes but also reignited doubts about manager Rob Thomson’s future. Just before Game 4, MLB insider Jon Heyman had suggested that Thomson was “clearly on the hot seat” if the Phillies didn’t survive the series, and that prediction now feels spot on. Will Thomson even be back as manager next year?

When Harper was asked if Thomson is the right guy to continue leading this team forward, this is what he had to say: “I love Topper, man. He’s done a great job for us. I don’t know what the future holds. I have no idea, and I think that’s a Dom Dombrowski question. But obviously, we love Topper here. He’s been great for us. And I think that’s, like I said, that’s a Dombrowski question.” 

Harper is still keeping his vote with his manager, regardless of all those decisions that contributed to the Phillies’ disastrous end to this postseason:

Thomson’s Game 2 in particular quickly became a flashpoint. With the Phillies down 4–3 in the bottom of the ninth, Nick Castellanos ripped a two-run double to cut the deficit, putting the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Instead of letting Bryson Stott swing, Thomson called for a bunt. The move was shocking: Stott squared early, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy rushed in, fielded it, and threw to Mookie Betts at third to tag Castellanos out. The Phillies gave up a crucial out in a make-or-break moment, and the rally fizzled. Afterward, Thomson defended it: “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was, compared to theirs.” He also implicitly blamed the savvy defensive alignment, noting, “Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play … we teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash.”

Earlier in that same game, Thomson made another controversial move in the seventh inning. Jesús Luzardo allowed successive hits (Teoscar Hernández singled and Freddie Freeman doubled), and Thomson entrusted Orion Kerkering to stem the damage. But Kerkering, whose struggles with inherited runners were well documented (he allows a high rate to score),  yielded an RBI fielder’s choice and later a two-run single to Will Smith. By handing Kerkering that high-leverage inning, Thomson arguably compounded the problem rather than cutting losses. In short, between the bunt that gifted momentum to the Dodgers and the decision to ride a shaky reliever in a jam, Thomson’s in-game judgment was under the microscope for good reason, and as Philadelphia’s postseason hopes dimmed, each decision only intensified calls for accountability… or worse.

Yet, it would be wrong to conclude Thomson’s tenure with the Phillies as a disaster. He has been a transformative figure for the Phillies since taking over as interim manager in 2022. His leadership has led the team to three consecutive postseason appearances and a franchise-record .577 winning percentage among all the managers in the team. In addition, he got the team two division titles in 2024 and 2025.

However, if the team’s offense consists of names like Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper couldn’t score a run till the late innings, it ain’t the manager’s fault. Reportedly, the trio went 1-for-14 with a walk on Thursday against the Dodgers!

So, with such a record, it is expected that Harper to rally behind Thomson, but what about him?

Harper is 32 now, and despite being a rare five-tool talent, a 2x NL MVP, and a 4x Silver Slugger, that elusive World Series ring still hasn’t come his way. This season felt like his best shot as the Phillies were rolling, ranking second in the league with a .258 average. But when it mattered most, the offense went cold.

At this stage in his career, it’s unclear if Harper will return next year. But honestly, it feels wrong that one of the top five players in career postseason OPS still doesn’t have a ring to his name.

What’s next for the Phillies’ manager?

“I’m not even thinking about that (my job) right now. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. I’m thinking about that a lot more than my job right now,” Thomson said after game 4 loss.

Well, Thomson took over from Joe Girardi just 47 games into the 2022 season and immediately turned things around, leading the Phillies all the way to the World Series. Since then, the Phillies have made the playoffs every year, but each time, they’ve been knocked out earlier than before.

Meanwhile, the managerial carousel around the league keeps spinning. This offseason alone, several big-name skippers, like Bruce Bochy, Brian Snitker, Bob Melvin, Ron Washington, and Rocco Baldelli, were either let go or stepped down after missing the playoffs. So, will there be any difference for Thomson?

Thomson, however, is still under contract through 2026, and there’s no real sign the Phillies are losing faith in him. If anything, the only reason he’d leave might be if he decides he wants a new challenge. Moving forward, though, his biggest task will be figuring out where this talented, expensive roster fell short.

Because even with $308 million spent in luxury tax payroll, the Phillies once again couldn’t make a deep postseason run.