We approach the stretch run of the 2025 regular season, all 30 MLB fanbases are taking stock of their clubhouse, top to bottom. Many fans are content with the playoffs on the horizon and bright futures ahead. But just as many would prefer to burn it all down and start over. It's not difficult to find MLB fans who have strong opinions about the job their manager has done.
While you will find plenty of contenders with controversial head honchos — Rob Thomson catches a lot of flak in Philadelphia, for example — this article will attempt to identify the five worst managers in the sport, or at least the five with the lowest stock right now. From there, we will attempt to identify potential replacements, interrogating a variety of potential factors.
Some of these teams are at rock bottom. Others just need a fresh voice to kick things up a notch. Let's start with one of the most disappointing teams in the National League...
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Miguel Cairo, Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals fired Dave Martinez back in July and installed 17-year MLB vet Miguel Cairo as interim manager. He spent last season as the Nats' bench coach and spent time as a bench coach (and interim manager) with the Chicago White Sox in 2022. While Cairo clearly has a great deal of respect across the league, it's hard to imagine him keeping the Nationals job after such a dismal season.
Washington is 53-80 as of this writing. Only Colorado has a worse record in the National League. Few expected the Nats to contend this season, but there was a real belief that D.C. could start climbing the ladder a bit. There's a lot of young talent on this roster that (supposed to be) coming into its own. James Wood, Mackenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews — these are all tremendously talented long-term building blocks, but the on-field product has been unwatchable.
One could argue that Washington has the least dependable pitching staff in MLB right now. Even Gore has regressed since the All-Star break, while the bullpen is suffocatingly bleak after a few trade deadline sales.
As for what Washington needs next: how about a coach with a history of stoking player development and overachieving with a flawed roster? Skip Schumaker led the Miami Marlins to an unexpected postseason berth in 2023. He was fired amid organizational turmoil in 2024, but he's another ex-player with a sterling reputation and forward-thinking strategies.
Nationals' ideal 2026 manager: Skip Schumaker
Tony Mansolino, Baltimore Orioles
Tony Mansolino took over for Brandon Hyde after an early-season dismissal. The results have been slightly better, especially after the All-Star break, but the Baltimore Orioles are still miles behind the pack in the AL East. For a team with this much firepower and such high preseason expectations, it's unacceptable. Surely Baltimore will look in a new direction this winter.
The O's feel like a sleeping giant. Even if Adley Rutschman gets traded, there is so much young, up-and-coming talent on this roster. Gunnar Henderson is rounding back into his standard, MVP candidate form of late. Jackson Holliday is still only 21. His explosion onto the scene is imminent. Samuel Basallo, fresh off signing an eight-year extension after a handful of MLB appearances, is on a comparably skyward trajectory. Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, Coby Mayo. The list goes on.
Baltimore will need to figure out its pitching staff in a hurry next winter, which will require Mike Elias to actively participate in free agency for once, but the foundation is strong. This season was a setback, but it doesn't have to be the premature end of an era.
The right manager probably brings a measure of experience and proven stability. It can often feel incongruent to hire an older manager to guide a young team, but Baltimore needs to get its act together quickly and capitalize on this window, as they never stay open as long as we expect. How about a manager with 1,727 career wins and a record above .500 in Buck Showalter? At 69, he might not be a long-term solution. But he has recent success under his belt in New York and he's a four-time Manager of the Year.
Orioles' ideal 2026 manager: Buck Showalter
Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks
Torey Lovullo is in his ninth season as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. There have been some highs, like Arizona's 2023 World Series appearance. But there have also been lows, such as a 52-win campaign in 2021 or even this season, when it feels like everything has gone wrong for the D'backs.
It's hard to pin the Diamondbacks' failures in 2025 squarely on Lovullo. He has been dealt the worst possible hand with injury luck. Corbin Burnes went down midseason. Jordan Montgomery was ruled out back in spring training (and then traded at the deadline). Zac Gallen, once a perennial Cy Young candidate, suddenly looks like a shell of himself in a walk year. That, too, is something Lovullo can't really predict or protect against.
That said, at 64-69, this has been an extremely underwhelming season for the Diamondbacks. Once viewed as potential sleepers in the cutthroat NL West, Arizona wound up installing a giant 'For Sale' sign at the deadline. Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, Merrill Kelly and Shelby Miller were among the many consequential players dealt away. As such, it feels like Arizona is at a crossroads.
Arizona could probably afford to bring in a fresh voice, a new perspective. There are a ton of up-and-coming voices in the MLB coaching ranks. Many of the most successful managerial hires in recent years have been on the younger side, perhaps with a more analytical or new-school bend. One name that comes to mind? Milwaukee Brewers associate manager Rickie Weeks Jr. He's an ex-player who occupies a prominent spot on the bench in MLB's best-run dugout.
Diamondbacks' ideal 2026 manager: Rickie Weeks Jr.
Rocco Baldelli, Minnesota Twins
Rocco Baldelli was a bet on youth and new thinking. He's still only 43 in his seventh season as Minnesota Twins manager. While there have been highlights, including a 101-win debut campaign in 2019, Minnesota has been on far shakier ground of late. The Twins eked out above-.500 records in 2023 and 2024, but the bottom fell out this season, leading to one of the most shocking and seismic deadline fire sales in MLB history.
The Twins roster is practically unrecognizable compared to what it was a year ago. Baldelli is probably the next to go. Minnesota needs new blood, and frankly, they probably need a manager with a bit of cachet who can restore credibility in the clubhouse amid organizational turmoil and front office collapse. The Twins are still in financial debt. This team won't be spending competitively in free agency for a while.
With such a precious situation up top, Minnesota would be wise to invest in a proven winner. A coach with years of valuable experience in various situations. How about John Gibbons? He spent 11 years as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays across two separate stints. He is also the bench coach for the Mets right now, helping to lead one of MLB's more explosive offensive lineups, with a pitching staff performing well above its means.
We can't know precisely how much of New York's success is attributable to Gibbons, but he probably has another decade on the bench if all goes well at 63 years old, and he's extremely well respected in MLB circles. There is even a "John Gibbons Day" in Toronto to commemorate all he did for that organization.
Twins' ideal 2026 manager: John Gibbons
Aaron Boone, New York Yankees
Aaron Boone is the only manager from a contending team on this list. On the surface, he's 12 games above .500 and within striking distance of first place. He has a .580 career winning percentage, which is on the higher end. He has eight winning seasons in eight years leading the New York Yankees bench. So what's the deal? Why is he so maligned in the Bronx and elsewhere?
Well, it's simple. He's coaching the Yankees, which means we need to grade on a curve. New York has a level of financial backing and organizational pedigree that is unmatched in the American League. The Yankees will almost always be able to afford a contending roster. After whiffing on Juan Soto, the Yankees turned around and handed out a third of a billion dollars to Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and others. New York was never going to fall far in the standings.
And yet, after a World Series berth in 2024, the Yankees have been a frustrating watch in 2025. Boone can't take the blame for everything, but New York often coasts on talent. Their hitting approach frequently falters. They are the least-disciplined base running team in MLB. The defense is a constantly mixed bag, with Anthony Volpe regressing from a Gold Glove in 2023 to borderline unplayable in 2025. Again, Boone can't go out there and produce (or prevent) runs, but few contenders squander opportunities as frequently as New York. The Yankees should be even better than their record.
It feels like New York would benefit from a new voice. Boone's résumé might save him, but if the Yankees fall short in October, plenty of fans will be calling for his job. Should the Yankees decide to invest in a fresh voice. While I've mentioned infield guru Ron Washington in the past, he's probably too close to retirement. As such, how about a more gutsy swing, like Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard? A.J. Hinch is a genius, as the Yankees know well. Perhaps some of that could rub off on Lombard, who has the chance to coach for decades to come at 49 years old.