The challenges awaiting Rob Thomson

Managers matter.

Let’s start there.

Over the last few decades, there’s been a push against the importance of managers in Major League Baseball. In some ways, I get it: The sport is dictated by front offices more than the person in the dugout pushing buttons.

But when the biggest games and months of the season roll around, we shouldn’t discount the importance of the manager.

For the Phillies, it means Rob Thomson’s decisions (which were not great last night in a loss to the Nationals) are going to go a long way in determining if this group can win a World Series or fall short again.

Here are the challenges awaiting Topper down the stretch of this season.