Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Mets manager Carlos Mendoza continues to hold his job despite one of the worst starts in recent franchise history.
- Sunday's nationally-televised debacle against the Phillies exposed systemic issues that have plagued the team all season.
- The front office's refusal to make a change now puts additional pressure on a high-profile owner to justify keeping the current leadership intact.
Perhaps the most significant takeaway of the New York Mets’ 2026 season is that manager Carlos Mendoza’s survival skills are to be admired. Mendoza woke up on Sunday still employed, an incredible feat following a humiliating, nationally-televised loss to the rival Phillies. Kyle Schwarber homered twice in the same inning, while Bryce Harper had completed the cycle by the fifth inning.
And, while social media often loves seeing a position player pitching, Mendoza’s decision to have backup infielder Zack Short take the mound in the eighth inning should have said it all. Short, a 31-year-old with a career -0.6 bWAR over 267 games, retired all three hitters he faced and likely saved his roster spot for a few more days.
Based on the last nine months, Mendoza shouldn’t need to worry about losing his place in the big-league dugout, either.
How the Mets haven’t fired Carlos Mendoza yet is absolutely incredible
Before going any further, I must make it clear that I am not rooting for Mendoza to be fired, nor is any of this intended to be personal. With that said, the fact that the Mets still haven’t dismissed Mendoza is remarkable. Last year’s collapse should have been enough to justify a managerial change, especially after the Mets gave Juan Soto a record contract with the intention of winning a championship every year, not solely to compete for one.
Steve Cohen’s hesitancy arguably doomed the Mets from Opening Day onward. Respectfully, Mendoza looks overmatched on a nightly basis, and the organization desperately needs a manager who can put his foot down. Otherwise, you wind up with Francisco Lindor publicly begging to be named the Mets’ captain, then attending Knicks playoff games while on the injured list.
In fact, the Phillies provided the perfect reminder of just how badly the Mets have gotten the entire Mendoza situation wrong. Upon getting off to a slow start, the Phillies fired Rob Thompson and named Don Mattingly the interim manager. What could have been a disastrous 2026 season has instead turned into the Phillies on pace to secure a Wild Card spot.
Speaking candidly, Cohen should have fired Mendoza and his entire staff hours after last year’s season-ending finale loss to the Marlins. We’re still unsure how Mendoza is still in charge despite the Mets holding the National League’s third-worst record — and, by the way, they entered Sunday’s finale against the Phillies only 4 ½ games away from holding the sport’s worst record.
Mets keeping Carlos Mendoza is a disservice to the fanbase
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Mets are closer to the Rockies than they are to the National League’s third and final Wild Card seed.
Yet, Mendoza remains the manager, and there is no indication that the Mets intend to rectify that fact anytime soon. Would anyone truly be surprised if Mendoza survives the season and keeps his job entering next year, earning a public vote of confidence from Cohen and lead baseball executive David Stearns along the way?
The Cohen-led Mets were supposed to be different than the teams we saw throughout the Wilpons’ ownership. And while the Mets have spent and been aggressive, they’ve also demonstrated a concerning amount of passivity that you don’t see from the Dodgers.
But, if the Mets are fine maintaining the status quo and letting Mendoza make the same tired excuses about how they’re better than their record, then don’t complain when the title drought extends a full four decades.
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