Don Mattingly’s decades-long chase for a World Series ring will continue into 2027 — and with an established title contender, no less.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Wednesday that Mattingly signed a two-year deal to become the team's full-time manager. Mattingly, who turns 66 next April, went 79-55 and led the Phillies to a Wild Card berth after replacing Rob Thomson in April.
Mattingly was already under contract as a bench coach for next season. Speculation mounted throughout the summer that the Phillies would hire ex-Red Sox manager Alex Cora for the top job, but he confirmed earlier this month that he’ll instead sit out 2027.
“He had his share of imperfect decisions — chief among them being heavy-handed bullpen management — but, for the most part, players liked Mattingly’s calm demeanor,” The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes wrote shortly before the Phillies’ official announcement.
Amid the Phillies’ resurgence this past May, we evaluated whether their sudden turnaround would help Mattingly’s Hall of Fame odds. Now is the perfect time to revisit the conversation, especially after Philadelphia narrowly snuck into the playoffs following its 9-19 start.
Could managing the Philadelphia Phillies positively impact Don Mattingly’s Hall of Fame chances?
For those too young to understand Mattingly’s Hall of Fame résumé, we’ll keep things simple. A six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glover with the Yankees, Mattingly fell off the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot in 2015. He has since appeared on four Eras Committee ballots, earning six of 16 votes last winter. Barring any unexpected rule changes, he’ll next appear on the Contemporary Era ballot in 2028, and he’ll need at least 12 votes.
As we pointed out in May, don’t read too much into Mattingly’s 968-1,005 record as a manager. He spent seven years in Miami, and we know the Marlins’ reputation for tearing down their roster. Not even Joe Torre or Dave Roberts could have avoided 90-loss seasons in the post-Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich era.
Unless he wins the World Series, we’re nonetheless skeptical that those on the Eras Committee will factor Mattingly’s Phillies performance into consideration. Common sense suggests they’d care far more about his counting stats and him not being linked to performance-enhancing drugs or off-field controversies.
Last year’s 16-man panel included eight Hall of Fame players, five former or current executives, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and three media members; Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell, and Robin Yount were the only members whose primes coincided with Mattingly, who was a full-time player from 1984 through 1995. His best chance for election is hoping the committee features more players from the 1980s, or even the 1990s — and even then, six additional votes are far more than two.
Torre, the 1971 NL MVP and a nine-time All-Star, is the only former standout player to earn election as a manager. But we can’t properly compare someone who won four World Series titles and totaled six pennants as a manager to Mattingly, who has only reached the League Championship Series once.
The Hall of Fame has not yet announced the 2028 committee. This year’s Contemporary Baseball Era panel meets in December to evaluate managers, executives, and umpires.
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