Phillies main reason for struggles revealed, and it's not their hitting

Phillies main reason for struggles revealed, and it's not their hitting originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a rough 2026 season so far. They're only two games back of the 2nd place spot in the NL East, but they're 14-20, far from an ideal record, and 10.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves.

Overall, things aren't going so well. There have been many reasons why the team has struggled, with the offense and pitching staff being two areas worthy of blame. Rob Thomson was also a scapegoat and was fired already this season.

But, as ESPN's David Schoenfield highlighted while giving the Phillies an F grade for their season so far, the biggest issue is actually their defense, not their hitting or pitching.

Phillies biggest issue is their defense

"Key stat to watch: The Phillies gave up a .349 batting average on balls in play in April, a historically awful month - and yet gave up the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls in the majors," Schoenfield writes. "Sanchez, in particular, has been burned a lot by soft hits. That does point to some serious defensive issues."

Things aren't going too well for the Phillies this season defensively, with the team struggling in a few key spots.