Phillies dealing with major Citizens Bank Park problem originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Philadelphia Phillies are 8-10 to begin the 2026 season. While it’s still early, things could very easily turn around for the better come the postseason. But there are plenty of concerns with this team.
Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott haven’t been good enough, while Adolis Garcia and Justin Crawford haven’t been consistent either. Add in Jesus Luzardo’s struggles, and things are looking very worrisome from a player standpoint.
But, arguably more concerning than anything is the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park problem. As Luke Arcaini of Crossing Broad shared on Twitter/x, the Phillies’ struggles are contextualized with their home losses last season.
Phillies have some major home-field advantage issues
“The Phillies lost a series just three times at Citizens Bank Park last year,” Arcaini notes. “They have now lost three at home this year. It’s April.”
Normally, teams will have a better record while playing at home. It’s not a surprise, as the home crowd can back the team, and hitting second does give an advantage.
But the Phillies have already lost three series at home this season. They lost the opening series of the year against the Texas Rangers 1-2, then lost two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and have now lost two of three to the Chicago Cubs.
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Citizens Bank Park hasn’t treated the Phillies well, as they’re 5-7 at home versus 3-3 on the road. This is a massive issue, and one that the Phillies need to correct going forward.
If they can’t win a series at home, it’s going to be a very long season in Philadelphia. They have a -25 run differential this season, and are two games under .500 on the year through 18 games, 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves atop the NL East.
The Phillies’ home-field advantage doesn’t seem to exist this season, which will be a massive issue for this team if they can’t figure this out.
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