Report: Phillies keeping Thomson after 3rd straight early exit

The Philadelphia Phillies are opting for stability in the dugout after another early playoff exit.

Philadelphia will retain manager Rob Thomson in 2026, report Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The team will make his return official later this week.

Thomson has compiled a 346-251 record since taking over the Phillies in June 2022. He's led the Phillies to three straight 90-win seasons and two consecutive NL East crowns, as well as a surprising NL pennant in 2022. The 62-year-old Canadian's .580 winning percentage is the highest in Phillies history among skippers with at least two seasons and 200 games managed.

This year was the Phillies' most successful regular season under Thomson. Their 96 wins marked the franchise's best record since 2011, and they secured a bye as the NL's No. 2 seed for a second straight year.

However, that success again failed to translate to the playoffs, continuing a string of October failures for a high-priced and star-laden squad. After making it to the World Series as a Cinderella wild-card team in 2022, the Phillies lost the 2023 NLCS to the underdog D-Backs, then fell to the rival Mets - also a No. 6 seed - in the NLDS the following year.

Last week, the Phillies were again eliminated in the NLDS, losing in four games to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Although they weren't sent home by a Cinderella squad, this year's playoff ouster was particularly heartbreaking, as their season ended on a walk-off throwing error by reliever Orion Kerkering.

The Phillies have won only two World Series titles over their 142-year history, in 1980 and 2008.