The Philadelphia Phillies have not gotten off to the kind of start they were hoping for in the 2026 MLB regular season. With expectations of being a contender in the National League East, the only reason they aren’t currently in the cellar is because of how poorly the New York Mets are playing. They are riding an eight-game losing streak and are 1.5 games behind the Phillies. Philadelphia has lost three series in a row to the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs heading into the final three-game set of their nine-game homestand against the Atlanta Braves . Despite those struggles , their spot in the MLB power rankings done by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has remained virtually unchanged. In the preseason, they were No. 4. Now, with a record of 8-10, they have shockingly only dropped one spot to No. 5.…