Two weeks after the Philadelphia Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs, an MLB insider indicated that interim manager Don Mattingly has a reasonable chance of returning in the same role next season.
“Don Mattingly appears to have a decent or better chance to be retained as Phillies manager,” Jon Heyman wrote. “Went 79-55 to get into playoffs after taking over 9-19 team and has the respect of players and front office, as I said on MLB Network.”
The Phillies finished the 2026 regular season with an 88-74 record, placing second in the National League East and earning the No. 6 seed in the National League.
The year began with a rough stretch. The club sat at 9-19 when the organization fired manager Rob Thomson on April 28.
Mattingly, who had joined the staff as bench coach during the offseason, took over on an interim basis and handled the rest of the schedule.
Under Mattingly the Phillies posted a 79-55 mark, wiping out the early deficit and securing a Wild Card berth for the fifth consecutive season on the final day of the regular season.
Their postseason ended quickly. The Phillies lost the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series to the Atlanta Braves by a 2-1 count.
Mattingly remains under contract with the Phillies as bench coach through the 2027 season.
Even if he is not brought back as manager, he is expected to stay with the organization in some role.
“If he is not the manager again, he is expected to remain in the organization in some capacity, perhaps as a front-office advisor,” Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark wrote. “Mattingly’s son, Preston, is the team’s general manager.”
Preston Mattingly serves as general manager, creating an unusual father-son arrangement between the front office and the dugout.
Mattingly previously managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011 through 2015 and the Miami Marlins from 2016 through 2022.
As a player he spent his entire 14-year major-league career with the New York Yankees, batting .307 with 2,153 hits and 1,099 RBI. He was selected to six All-Star teams, won nine Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards, took the American League batting title in 1984 and was named AL MVP in 1985 after leading the league in RBI.
The Yankees named him captain from 1991 to 1995 and later retired his No. 23.
The Phillies have not yet named a permanent manager for 2027. An expected lockout beginning in December could limit the time available for a wider search.
While some earlier reports suggested the sides might part ways, the latest indication from Heyman leaves Mattingly as a viable candidate given the midseason recovery and the respect he holds among players and executives.
