On Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies announced they will “run it back” at least one more time with manager Rob Thomson in 2026 — a move that signals confidence in the team’s skipper, who owns the highest winning percentage of any Phillies manager in team history. On the other side, there must be some accountability for three straight duds by Philadelphia’s bats in the postseason. With Kevin Long’s contract expiring after the 2025 season, a decision is on the horizon. For a hitting coach whose roots run deep throughout the veteran-heavy roster, Long’s so-called “simplified” approach may have run its course for a leaking group of stars and young talent that hasn’t developed at the plate.
Kevin Long’s Future as Phillies Hitting Coach Up in the Air
Accountability
When Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies’ front office decided to bring Rob Thomson back after speculation he could be out as manager, fans rolled their eyes at the thought of another first-round exit in October. The blame doesn’t seem to be aimed at Thomson, but at the thought of cooking with the same ingredients that produced back-to-back-to-back distasteful memories for the Philly faithful. The Phillies bringing back Thomson after a failed 2025 puts even more pressure on making smaller, more impactful changes to avoid looking like nothing was done to improve.
The question now becomes what his staff looks like.
Caleb Cotham is seen as a star.
Kevin Long helped Bryson Stott turn his season around, and Kyle Schwarber credits him for turning his career around. Would you really move on from him if you want to bring Schwarber back? https://t.co/mEXyO0y9Rw
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) October 13, 2025
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Kevin Long is rarely praised for his hitters’ success during the regular season — even this past season, when Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner led the National League in home runs and batting average. Why? Because those feared sluggers, along with two-time MVP Bryce Harper, could supply air conditioning to the entire Delaware Valley with their postseason whiffs at the plate. The once-feared Broad Street Bombers have become the joke of the bunch more than a couple of times with Long leading the charge. Young talent remains undeveloped, and big power becomes small when the lights are brightest. Just how bad?
Only October Matters
Kevin Long and the Phillies have been astonishingly easy to get out during the postseason. In fact, during the pivotal Game 7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 that would’ve sent the team to its second straight Fall Classic, the Phillies went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Surely, they would bounce back after such a devastating collapse and with a strong core locked down at the plate, right? Wrong.
The 2024 Phillies had the fifth-worst chase rate in MLB. Starting October with World Series expectations, Philadelphia was embarrassed again — this time by the division-rival New York Mets in the NL Division Series, a series anyone could’ve gotten fired up for. Long’s adjustments supplied no relief after winning only one game, with 38 strikeouts to 24 hits in 129 at-bats. Schwarber and Turner combined for five hits and 11 strikeouts, with neither making a significant impact. Long’s sluggers batted a combined .186 during the forgettable series, and the team benched young talent Alec Bohm after poor play.
After another postseason of disappointment, Long was back in 2025 — as was the predictable approach at the plate by a Phillies lineup that looked playoff-ready, winning 17 of 25 in September. The same old story followed. The Phillies managed only seven runs combined in the three games they lost. Once again, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner had an all-time bad series. The trio went a combined 1-for-11 in a Game 1 loss, 1-for-10 in a Game 2 loss, 7-for-13 in a Game 3 win, only to follow it up with a horrid 1-for-14 showing in an elimination Game 4 loss. The 96-win NL East champions ended with another failed campaign — bats to blame.
Everything Else
Why the regular season and the playoffs are such polar opposites makes little sense, leading to plenty of questions. The blame there can go to a lack of adjustments, an outdated style of teaching, a lack of urgency to address issues, poor situational awareness, or simply the inability to handle pressure. The same early and aggressive power-swing approach that led to 96 wins during the regular season has been easy to game-plan against for opposing pitchers — and that’s been true since 2023.
What doesn’t get enough discussion is Kevin Long’s lack of influence on the young players’ development in Philly. Bryson Stott started his career hot at the plate, only to fade with no signs of growth. The team relied on Bohm panning out, only to find an incomplete player who lacks power and falls into month-long slumps. Brandon Marsh was a success story whose ceiling would skyrocket if he made any strides at all against left-handed pitching — an issue the Phillies can’t ignore much longer. The same goes for Johan Rojas, who has struggled to stay on the roster after making appearances in the World Series three seasons ago.
It must be agonizing for Phillies fans to watch as the team swings at the same outside pitches and bounces into the same first-pitch groundouts — almost as if opponents know what’s coming beforehand. With the decision to bring back Rob Thomson and the same returning core from years past, the easiest answer for a new result is moving on from Kevin Long. Will the players support the move? Not likely.
Main Photo Credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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