The Philadelphia Phillies entered the 2025 postseason with high hopes of winning the championship and a 96-66 record that easily won them the NL East title. But that confidence fell apart in the NLDS against the Dodgers, which ended in four games with a throwing error by pitcher Orion Kerkering in the 11th inning that led to a 2-1 walk-off loss. The mistake on a routine comebacker with the bases loaded showed how thin the lines are between October glory and terrible exits.

The Phillies are now in a very tough spot on the free agent market. The team needs Kyle Schwarber back, but his value on the market has gone up a lot since he led Major League Baseball with 132 RBIs and the National League with 56 home runs in 2025. If the 33-year-old designated hitter’s contract talks fall through, Pete Alonso is the next best option. However, getting him won’t be cheap either.

The Phillies need to find a way to keep Schwarber, no matter how much it costs. But if he leaves, it makes sense to switch to Alonso quickly. Alonso, who will be 31 in December, is younger and played all 162 games for the second year in a row. He came back strong after a bad 2024 season, hitting .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and a team-high 126 RBIs. His .871 OPS was the highest it had been since his historic rookie season in 2019, and his 41 doubles tied Matt Olson of Atlanta for the NL lead.

Alonso also had an average exit velocity of 93.5 mph, a barrel percentage of 18.9, and a hard-hit percentage of 54.4, which put him in the top 5% of the league. He is a strong presence in the clubhouse and can play first base defense, which could mean filling in for Bryce Harper when needed.

But Schwarber had even better power numbers. His exit velocity was in the 98th percentile, his barrel percentage was in the 99th percentile, and his hard-hit percentage was in the 100th percentile. The drawback, though?

He finished in the bottom three in strikeouts for the fourth year in a row and doesn’t have Alonso’s defensive versatility. He was the DH for most of the games, while Alonso started all but three games at first base.

For any team that needs middle-order power, both sluggers would be game-changing additions. The Phillies are now faced with a decision that could change the course of their championship run.

Phillies’ Thomson gets one more shot despite postseason struggles

The Philadelphia Phillies will keep Rob Thomson as manager until 2026, which is the last year of his contract extension from last October. The New York Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer both confirmed the decision.

Thomson has led the NL East to two straight championships, but both seasons ended with losses in the Division Series, making fans wonder if this core can finally break through. His time in office is a story of exciting possibilities and heartbreaking failures.

Thomson took over for Joe Girardi in 2022 and led the Phillies to the World Series right away. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in six games. That run set expectations that the team hasn’t been able to meet since.

In 2023, Arizona beat them in a seven-game NLCS series. In the 2024 NLDS, the Mets beat them in four games. Then there was the four-game loss to the Dodgers this October, which was made worse by the 11th-inning mistake.

Thomson has a 346-251 record in the regular season and a 21-17 record in the playoffs. Those numbers show his capability, but failures in October are more important than past successes. Philadelphia is betting that Thomson can finally get this talented team past the Division Series barrier and prove that they were right to trust him as a leader.