The New York Mets are entering the offseason with clarity regarding their managerial situation. After a season that failed to meet high expectations, the team’s leadership made a decisive announcement: Carlos Mendoza will return as manager for the 2026 season.
Despite the Mets missing the playoffs following a disappointing second half of 2025, president of baseball operations David Stearns expressed full confidence in Mendoza’s ability to lead the team forward. “Yeah, Carlos is coming back next year,” Stearns made clear.
Mendoza guided the Mets to an 89-73 record in 2024, knocking off the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series and the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series before falling to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in six games of the NL Championship Series.
What went wrong in 2025 and how does Mendoza factor in?
The 2025 season, however, was a completely different story. The Mets began strong, holding the best record in baseball on June 12 at 45-24. But a combination of poor pitching, lack of clutch hitting, defensive lapses, and injuries led to a 38-55 finish, the fifth-worst record in the league during that stretch. New York ended the season at 83-79, missing the playoffs. Mendoza’s overall record now stands at 172-152 over two seasons.
Stearns emphasized that the responsibility for 2025’s struggles does not rest solely on Mendoza. “I believe Carlos has all the same traits and assets that I believed in when we hired him two years ago. I think over the course of his tenure here, he has demonstrated that,” Stearns said.
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He added: “We had a tough year this year, there’s no question. We are all disappointed, we are all frustrated. Mendy, as much or more than anyone else. But I still believe he’s a very good manager and I think he’s going to demonstrate that.”
What’s next for the coaching staff?
While Mendoza’s return is secure, the rest of the coaching staff will be evaluated. SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported that “notable and perhaps widespread changes to the coaching staff” could occur this offseason. Stearns added, “We’re going to go through an evaluation of our entire coaching staff and we’ll do that over the course of the coming days to a week, and then we’ll make our decisions there. When you come off a season like this, it’s certainly going to be a little more intense.”
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The Mets head into the offseason with Mendoza at the helm, ready to address coaching and roster decisions that could shape their push for a playoff run in 2026.
