Finding different ways to win is one of the most valuable traits a professional sports team can have.
Some teams depend almost entirely on one strength. Football teams lean heavily on the passing game. Soccer clubs can become overly dependent on one or two stars. Basketball teams often live and die by the production of their best player.
Baseball is different.
There are countless ways to win a game, and the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies are proving that they can find almost all of them.
For years, the Phillies were often viewed as a boom-or-bust team. The formula was simple: Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and the rest of the lineup needed to provide the power, and the pitching staff had to hold the lead. When the home runs came, the Phillies looked nearly unstoppable. When they didn’t, the offense could struggle to manufacture runs.
That identity has changed.
Since Don Mattingly took over, the Phillies have gradually developed something much more important heading into September: versatility.
They no longer need one specific formula to win.
The Phillies are now 16 games over .500 for the first time this season following Saturday night’s extra-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels. And perhaps most impressively, they are accomplishing it without relying on the home run ball nearly as much as they have in previous seasons.
In fact, Philadelphia is hitting fewer home runs than it has during much of this era of Phillies baseball.
Instead, they are finding other answers.
Trea Turner’s 10th-inning single on Saturday was a perfect example. The ball left his bat at just 56.6 mph and traveled only 75 feet before hitting the ground, but it ultimately helped create the two-run inning that gave Philadelphia the extra cushion it needed.
That is not the type of offensive production that usually makes headlines.
But it wins games.
Over the past several weeks, the Phillies have manufactured runs with quality at-bats, smart approaches, situational hitting, aggressive baserunning, bunting and timely contact. They have shown that they don’t always need to hit the ball out of the ballpark to put pressure on an opposing team.
That confidence has changed the way this team feels.
Right now, the Phillies look like a team that genuinely believes it can win regardless of the situation.
A late deficit no longer feels like an automatic loss. Even when they trail entering the ninth inning, there is a growing sense that Philadelphia still has a chance.
That mentality was on full display Friday night.
Edmundo Sosa’s grand slam was the Phillies’ fourth go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth inning this season, according to Jayson Stark. No other team in Major League Baseball has hit three in that situation.
That statistic says plenty about this team’s resilience.
Mattingly has consistently emphasized the importance of having a plan at the plate, and that message appears to be making a difference. Philadelphia’s hitters are taking better at-bats, working counts and finding ways to capitalize on opportunities instead of simply waiting for the three-run homer.
Seven Phillies players have posted an OPS of .772 or higher during August, highlighting just how balanced the offense has become.
Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott have continued to swing the bat extremely well, providing the consistent production the lineup needs. Meanwhile, players such as Bryan De La Cruz and Justin Crawford have made meaningful contributions whenever they have been given opportunities.
That depth could become incredibly important once the postseason arrives.
The pitching staff is also beginning to find its rhythm at the right time.
Cristopher Sanchez, who had struggled over the previous month and a half, delivered one of his best performances of the season Saturday night. He tossed seven shutout innings, allowed only two hits and one walk, and struck out nine.
Jhoan Duran then provided another important development by working two innings for the first time since joining the Phillies.
Suddenly, the pieces are beginning to fit together.
The offense can win a slugfest. It can manufacture runs. The lineup can rally late. The starting rotation can dominate. The bullpen can provide length when necessary.
That is exactly the kind of flexibility a team needs when October baseball arrives.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that the Phillies no longer appear to have an obvious weakness that opponents can consistently exploit.
And that is saying something.
When was the last time Philadelphia entered September with such a large portion of its fanbase feeling confident about the 26-man roster?
Usually, there are questions. There are debates over the lineup, the bullpen, the bench or the rotation.
This year feels different.
The Phillies have spent months proving they can win in different ways. Now, with the postseason approaching, that versatility could become their greatest advantage.
They aren’t simply winning.
They are learning how to win when the usual answers aren’t available — and that could make them one of the most dangerous teams in Red October.
