4 Best Phillies Players From First Half of MLB Season

These four Philadelphia Phillies players have stood out for their performance this season.Kenneth Teape|

Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) throws to the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The Philadelphia Phillies have undergone a historic turnaround during the 2026 MLB regular season.

After starting 9-19 and getting manager Rob Thomson fired, the team has responded in a big way under interim manager Don Mattingly. They are the first team ever to be 10 games under .500 in April and get at least 10 games over .500 before the calendar flipped to July.

It has taken contributions from players up and down the roster to get to this point, but there are a few players who stick out even from all of the excellent production who have been consistent even during the down times.

Here are the four best Phillies players from the first half of the MLB season.

Cristopher Sanchez

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) throws to the Washington Nationals. — Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There wasn’t an easier choice for this list than the Philadelphia ace. He made franchise history with his scoreless innings streak of 50.2 innings, didn't allow a single run in May, and has been consistently productive from Opening Day.

This season, Cristopher Sanchez has made 17 starts, throwing 110 innings. He has a 9-3 record with a 2.13 ERA, 209 ERA+, 2.36 FIP and 127 strikeouts. His 1.7 BB/9 is the best in the National League. A 5.2 bWAR, one complete game shutout and a 6.05 SO/BB ratio are all best in the MLB.

If Zack Wheeler hadn’t started the season on the injured list, he would be giving Sanchez a run for his money with 3.9 bWAR in his 12 starts this season.

Brandon Marsh

The Phillies' offense has not been anywhere near as consistent as people would expect given some of the names written in every day. Despite their star power, it is Brandon Marsh who has been the most consistent producer at the plate.

A change in his mental approach to the game has unlocked his true potential. He is right in the mix to start for the NL All-Star Team, and rightfully so. A slash line of .322/.354/.529 has been produced with 14 home runs, 15 doubles, two triples and 44 RBI to go along with eight stolen bases.

Producing career highs across the board could not have come at a better time.

Jhoan Duran

Acquired from the Minnesota Twins ahead of the trade deadline in 2025, expectations were high for Jhoan Duran. Philadelphia desperately needed an upgrade at the backend of their bullpen, and he has provided that.

He has been dominant with a 1.57 ERA and an NL-best 21 saves. Duran has produced 2.0 bWAR in 28.2 innings of work, racking up 44 strikeouts compared to only six walks. He has a 285 ERA+ and 1.11 FIP as one of the most elite closers in baseball.

Kyle Schwarber

When a player is chasing down history, he has to be recognized as one of the team’s best players in the first half. That is exactly what Kyle Schwarber is doing, as he leads the MLB with 30 home runs and has some franchise records in his sights.

What he is doing power-wise is in rarified air. He is knocking on the door of Babe Ruth’s record for home runs in the first five seasons with a new team. Ryan Howard’s single-season record is within reach as well.

After a painfully slow start to the season, Schwarber has found his power stroke, more than making up for leading the MLB in strikeouts.

Published 14 minutes ago

KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at [email protected].

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World Cup 2026: Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman resigns after Round of 32 exit to Morocco

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Sean LeahyContributing writerTue, June 30, 2026 at 10:09 PM UTC·3 min read

Ronald Koeman has announced his resignation as manager of the Netherlands' men's team, hours after the Oranje were knockout of the World Cup after penalty kicks to Morocco in the Round of 32.

The Dutch were minutes away from advancing when Morocco's Issa Diop headed home an equalizer in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. A winner could not be decided after 30 minutes of stoppage time and Koeman's side had a penalty saved and two attempts missed as they crashed out of the tournament.

"Last night I took the decision to end my stint as head coach of the Dutch National Team," Koeman wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. "Looking back on my career, I feel especially proud and grateful. I have had the privilege to work at Vitesse, Ajax, Benfica, PSV, Valencia, AZ, Feyenoord, Southampton, Everton, FC Barcelona and of course two periods at Oranje. Clubs and people that shaped me and gave me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
"That's why it hurts that my period at Oranje ends like that. We all dreamed of a World Cup in which we would write history. That didn't work out. No one is more disappointed about that than me. As a head coach, you carry that responsibility. I have always felt that and I will always continue to feel that."

Koeman was criticized for setting the Netherlands up with five defenders and employing counterattacking tactics, which even surprised Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who said he was "taken aback by the formation."

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The 63-year-old Koeman, who was hired for a second tenure in charge of the national team in 2022, defended his game plan after the match.

"With this defensive ⁠approach, we gave away much less than we did during the [group] matches," Koeman said via Reuters. "That was positive, but also we were less offensive. You can think of the tactics whatever you like, but we gave away much less against a team much stronger than Sweden and Tunisia. And if I had to do it again, I would do it the same way again.
"I also know that if Morocco hadn't equalized with that late goal, there would be all sorts of compliments for me as the Dutch coach, but ‌now, ⁠probably, I'm going to be scolded for the fact that I chose five defenders, but once again, I believe it was necessary."
"You will criticize me, and that's your right, but you watch football from the sidelines," he added.

Morocco will face Canada in Houston on Saturday in the Round of 16.

As a player, Koeman was part of the 1988 Netherlands side that captured the European Championship over the Soviet Union. As a manager, he led his country to a 2018-19 UEFA Nations League final and helped the side qualify for the 2020 Euros, which he was not a part of after leaving to manage Barcelona. After returning as national team manager, the Netherlands reached the semifinals of Euro 2024.

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The Netherlands have had strong showings at recent World Cups. They reached the quarterfinals in 2022, the semifinals in 2014 and were runners-up in 2010. Under Koeman, since 2023, they failed to beat a top 25 team in FIFA's world rankings, losing eight and drawing six.

Trump Trolls Supreme Court on China's 'Massive Birthright Citizenship Win'

Trump Trolls Supreme Court on China’s ‘Massive Birthright Citizenship Win’

President Donald J. Trump greets President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China — Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr

Elizabeth Weibel30 Jun 2026

President Donald Trump trolled the Supreme Court, congratulating Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and China on the court’s ruling rejecting Trump’s reform of birthright citizenship in the United States.

“I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump’s post comes after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against Trump’s executive order making changes to birthright citizenship, stating that it “violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.”

Breitbart News’s Neil Munro reported that while the vote was 6-3, Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that “Trump and other politicians can change the rule via legislation”:

The decision was 6 to 3 against Trump, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh argued that Trump and other politicians can change the rule via legislation.

“Citizenship, then and now,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, “was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land.’ We keep that promise today.”

The Supreme Court’s decision mandated citizenship for the children of illegal migrants, foreign workers, and even government-funded foreign tourists.

An executive order from January 20, 2025, stated that “the privilege of United States citizenship is a priceless and profound gift.” The executive order also said, “the Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof.'”

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump wrote in another post on Truth Social that “Congress should start TODAY to work on ending” birthright citizenship.

In January, Breitbart News reported that investigative journalist and Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer revealed in his book, The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, how “more than one million Chinese” who have U.S. citizenship and grew up in China would “soon start voting in American elections.”

MLB Home Run Derby 2026: Rays’ Junior Caminero joins the field

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MLB Home Run Derby 2026: Rays’ Junior Caminero joins the field

The Home Run Derby trophy as seen during the event.

This year's Home Run Derby will take place at Citizens Bank Park as part of MLB's All-Star week. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

By Johnny Flores Jr.June 30, 2026 8:09 pm EDT Updated

Major League Baseball’s All-Star season is finally here, and the announcements are starting to pile up. After the first two starters for the American and National League teams were revealed last week — Ernie Clement and Shohei Ohtani, respectively — the first competitor for the Home Run Derby was announced on Tuesday: last year’s runner-up, Junior Caminero.

From now through Derby day, The Athletic will update this page with every announced competitor for this year’s competition, plus some need-to-knows, including the updated format and new streaming partner.

When is the Home Run Derby?

The 2026 Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Where is the Home Run Derby?

Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park will play host to All-Star week, including the Home Run Derby.

Where can I watch the Home Run Derby?

For the first time, Netflix will host the annual slugging competition. The streamer had rights to this year’s “Opening Night” between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, and it carried the World Baseball Classic tournament in Japan.

Has the format for the Home Run Derby changed?

Yes, this year’s Derby will look a lot different, and it’s not just because it’ll be on Netflix and not ESPN. This year, the Home Run Derby will ditch the time format that has been in place since 2015. Instead of timed rounds, each of the eight competitors will have a set number of swings: 20 in Round 1, 15 in Round 2 and 15 in the finals.

Each swing, regardless of whether it’s a home run or not, will count against that number. A player who homers on their final swing can continue hacking until he doesn’t get one.

The players with the top four home run totals will move on to the second round, where they will be seeded based on their numbers (No. 1 vs. No. 4, No. 2 vs. No. 3). That will determine the final round.

If there is a tie in the first round, then the longest home run between the two players will serve as the tiebreaker. In the next rounds, ties are broken by a three-swing swing-off.

In essence, the competition will look similar to the classic slugfests that made the Home Run Derby a must-watch event to begin with.