In a surprise move, the Philadelphia Phillies revealed that manager Rob Thomson will be returning for the 2025 season, alongside his entire coaching staff. Despite the team’s disappointing playoff exit, which saw the same offensive struggles resurface, Phillies leadership decided to maintain continuity at the helm rather than make sweeping changes to the coaching staff.
Thomson’s leadership and fan support
Over the past three years, Thomson has earned the respect and admiration of both players and fans for his leadership, guiding the team through a strong postseason run in 2022 and consistently keeping the team competitive.
While many fans and analysts called for a change following another early playoff exit, the Phillies organization placed the onus on improving the roster, rather than overhauling the coaching staff.
Thomson's return signals the team's commitment to his leadership and confidence in his ability to manage moving forward.
Coaching Staff shake-up
While Thomson’s job remains secure, the Phillies did make one notable change to the coaching staff. Brian Kaplan, who served as the assistant pitching coach and director of pitching for the Phillies over the past three seasons, has been hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as their new pitching coach. Kaplan’s departure is a significant loss for the Phillies, given the strength of their pitching staff during his tenure.
Mark Lowy named assistant Pitching coach
To fill Kaplan’s void, the Phillies moved quickly, announcing that Mark Lowy would take over as the team’s new assistant pitching coach. Lowy, who is stepping into his first Major League Baseball (MLB) coaching role, has been with the Phillies since 2021, working in their player development department. Most recently, he served as the lead pitching development analyst for the team.
Lowy’s background includes time with Cressey Sports Performance, a renowned sports performance facility, before joining the Phillies. He will work under pitching coach Caleb Cotham in his new role. However, it remains unclear who will take over the director of pitching position that Kaplan held, a critical role that will likely be filled soon.
A fresh start for 2025
As the Phillies prepare for the 2025 season, Thomson’s return, along with the reshuffling of the pitching department, indicates a willingness to evolve while maintaining stability.
While the team still faces questions surrounding its offensive performance, the continued leadership of Thomson and the addition of Lowy to the pitching staff could provide the necessary adjustments as the Phillies look to improve and contend in the coming seasons.
