Carlos Mendoza To Return As Mets’ Manager In 2026

The Mets’ astonishing collapse and postseason miss has led to plenty of speculation among fans about what changes might be coming to the organization, but president of baseball operations made clear today in meeting with the media that a managerial switch isn’t happening (via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). Carlos Mendoza will return to manage the team in 2026, per Stearns. The remainder of the coaching staff will continue to be evaluated over the coming week.

Mendoza, 45, has spent the past two seasons as the Mets’ manager. Next season, his third year on the job, is the final guaranteed year of his contract. The Mets hold a club option on him for the 2027 season. Mendoza’s Mets went 89-73 in 2024 and made it all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS before falling to the Dodgers. This year’s club finished 83-79, missing the playoffs by the narrowest of margins.

On the surface, that wouldn’t appear to be a colossal failure — but there are, of course, other elements to consider. The Mets added Juan Soto on a record-breaking free agent deal and pushed payroll up to $340MM this past offseason. As of June 1, they were tied with the Cubs for the best record in the National League, at 37-22. From that point forth, however, the Mets played at a 46-57 pace — just a .447 winning percentage that’s akin to the season-long output from a 72-90 Angels club that finished last place in the American League West.

August and September were particularly brutal months in Queens. The Mets won just 21 of their final 53 games (.396) despite an offense that ranked as arguably the best in the sport over that stretch. Mets hitters led the majors in runs scored from Aug. 1 through season’s end and ranked second in homers, third in batting average, second in on-base percentage and second in slugging percentage. Their collective 126 wRC+ suggested that the teamwide offensive output was 26% better than that of an average offensive performer in MLB.

The Mets, however, simply ran out of pitching — both in the bullpen and especially in the rotation. Kodai Senga never regained his form after returning from a hamstring strain that derailed what was shaping up to be a strong rebound season. He struggled enough that he consented to being optioned in September. Veterans Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea struggled greatly. Both opened the season on the injured list — Montas due to a lat strain, Manaea an oblique strain — and Montas lasted only a handful of ugly starts before requiring UCL surgery upon his return. Tylor Megill underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. Griffin Canning was looking like a terrific bargain grab — until a ruptured Achilles tendon wiped out his season in June.

Rather than make a substantial upgrade at the trade deadline, the Mets instead tapped into their farm system. Top prospect Nolan McLean hit the ground running and pitched like an ace following his promotion in August. Late call-ups for Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat yielded more mixed results. Mendoza’s rotation posted a 5.65 ERA following the trade deadline — fourth-worst in the majors. The front office’s attempt to bolster the bullpen on the summer trade market came up well short of expectations. Tyler Rogers was outstanding, but Ryan Helsley melted down in Queens and Gregory Soto was merely serviceable.

In a results-driven business, it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise to see the manager take the fall for a pitching collapse of this magnitude, even though he’s not the one who put together the staff. Mendoza will get another shot for at least the 2026 season, though, but it seems likely there’ll be some new faces on his staff. SNY’s Andy Martino reported last last night that “widespread” changes could be coming to the coaching staff despite the fact that the organization had no plans to fire Mendoza.