Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson’s Contract by One Year Following Three Consecutive Playoff Appearances
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have extended manager Rob Thomson’s contract for one additional year, keeping him with the team through the 2026 season after he successfully led them to three consecutive playoff berths.
At 61, Thomson directed the Phillies to the 2022 World Series and the 2023 National League Championship Series, and this season, he guided them to their first NL East title since 2011. Unfortunately, the Phillies were eliminated by the New York Mets in the National League Division Series.
Thomson boasts a .575 winning percentage, the highest in the franchise’s history. His previous contract was set to run out after the 2025 season.
“I’m fine with a year-to-year arrangement,” Thomson commented on the extension. “I’ve stated multiple times that this is where I want to be. This will be my final stop.”
Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, announced that the entire coaching staff, including notable hitting coach Kevin Long, will also return next season. “Many managers may claim it, but I genuinely believe we have the best coaching staff in baseball,” Thomson noted.
Following a successful 95-67 season, Dombrowski expressed his satisfaction with the team’s trajectory under Thomson, who is affectionately called “Topper” by his players.
“I believe we have a strong coaching staff,” Dombrowski said during the announcement. “They perform their duties efficiently and led us to 95 wins.”
Since taking over for Joe Girardi as manager on June 3, 2022, Thomson has compiled a 280-155 record.
Dombrowski emphasized the importance of avoiding a lame-duck situation for the manager as they head into the 2026 season.
“He has done an excellent job and has been a very successful manager,” Dombrowski remarked. “Few teams in baseball have reached the postseason three years in a row, and he has accomplished that. We’ve been a strong club under his leadership. It’s important to have stability in the manager’s position, and it’s never ideal to go into a manager’s final year if it can be avoided. He deserves this extension.”
Thomson joined the organization in 2018 as the bench coach under former manager Gabe Kapler and spent 28 years in the New York Yankees system from 1990 to 2017, including a decade on the major league coaching staff as bench coach (2008, 2015-2017) and third base coach (2009-2014).
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