Phillies Executive Gives Clear Statement About What They Need To Do on Offense

After another early exit, there was a clear message from the Philadelphia Phillies executive about what needs to happen on offense.

Oct 10, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski watches a team workout for the NLDS at Truist Park / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Following the Philadelphia Phillies getting eliminated in the playoffs early once again, there is a lot everyone in the organization has to think about regarding what needs to happen so they can achieve their goal of winning the World Series.

Since 2022, this team has taken a step back every year, and without a whole lot of roster flexibility, it's very likely there won't be sweeping changes heading into 2025.

The first domino already fell when president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced that manager Rob Thomson and his entire coaching staff was not only returning next season, but that the skipper was also getting a contract extension.

Without an overhaul coming to this lineup, there are clear adjustments that need to be made after the Phillies again fell victim to chasing out of the strike zone that plagued them in last year's NLCS loss.

Dombrowski made a clear statement about what he would like to see from the offense.

"One thing I would like us to do, and that’s going to fall into (hitting coach) Kevin Long's hands: I really would like us to use the whole field a little bit more at times," he said per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. "We became a pull-oriented club at times too much for me. In the postseason, when you look at it, a lot of our hits didn't come the opposite way. And that's something we've already talked about ourselves. Now, the hitters have to buy into that, too. They have to be in that position."

That's going to be the challenge.

Coming into this season, Philadelphia's hitters knew they had to approach things differently at the plate, and after starting off well during the early portion of the year when they were the best team in baseball, they fell back into their old habits.

Is that on hitting coach Kevin Long or the players?

Probably a combination of both.

Yes, the players have to go out there and perform, but it's also the responsibility of the coach to make sure the lineup isn't getting away with things that could negatively affect them down the line.

The Phillies have to be better about not chasing pitches and changing their approach at the plate or else they are going to continue being bounced from the playoffs earlier than this roster suggests they should.

That is going to be the most important thing for them in 2025 no matter who is on the roster.