Philadelphia Rightfully Receives Poor Grade Through 18 Games

Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (42) reacts after allowing runs against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Rightfully Receives Poor Grade Through 18 Games

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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As the Philadelphia Phillies try to bounce back from a bad stretch with the big weekend series against the Atlanta Braves, the team has to be a bit concerned about their performance through 18 games.

Heading into their series with the Braves, things are not going well for the Phillies. Their struggles started against the San Francisco Giants, when they were shut out in the final two games of that series. Then they came home and lost two out of three games to both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago Cubs.

Losing three straight series, two of which were at home, is far from ideal, especially for a team that has been strong at home in recent years. Now, while there is still time to turn it around, that has to happen sooner rather than later. With it being a decent sample size of 18 games, the team has shown some early issues that are certainly concerning.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently gave the Phillies a grade of a ‘D-’ for their efforts through the first 18 games of the season. Unfortunately, while the grade is low, it is fair based on their performance.

Philadelphia Rightfully Receives Poor Grade

Even though a grade of a D- is pretty bad, it is a fair one for the Phillies so far. This is a team that doesn’t have much going right for them, and that is concerning. Coming into the year, while the team knew that Zack Wheeler was going to miss the start of the season, their rotation still figured to be strong.

However, the team ERA for Philadelphia is one of the worst in the league, and two starters in their rotation have very high ERAs. While Wheeler is expected to be back soon, which can help solve some problems, there is a possibility that he will be rusty and take time to get back to himself.

While the rotation has been a disappointment, so too has the lineup. So far, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are off to good starts to the campaign, but there hasn’t been a ton of help for them. Brandon Marsh is continuing his strong play from the second half of last year, but many sluggers from the right side of the plate are not producing.

Overall, while there is still time to turn things around for Philadelphia, their performance so far this season is deserving of a low grade.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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