Is the Mets Manager on the Hot Seat After a Sluggish Start to the 2026 Season?

The Mets entered the 2026 season with a brand new roster, allowing several long-time players and fan favorites to leave and bringing in new players from other organizations to replace them. The Mets traded or lost to free agency key players such as Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz, replacing them with Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette. The Mets didn’t have any particular expectations due to the brand-new roster. However, the Mets are expected to make the playoffs with the talent on the roster.

Carlos Mendoza is in his third season as the Mets manager. His record so far is 179-176, a .519 winning percentage. This is Mendoza’s first managerial role in MLB; he previously served as a bench coach with the Yankees for five seasons. Mendoza led the New York Mets to the playoffs in one season, his debut year as manager in 2024, guiding the team to a Wild Card spot and a trip to the NLCS. He is in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract, with the Mets holding a club option for 2027.

This season, Mendoza has been criticized and even partially blamed for the Mets’ slow start. The team currently holds a 7-14 record. The offense has looked lifeless, and the team has appeared non-competitive in some early games. Mendoza has been rumored to be on the hot seat due to the Mets' poor start, the demanding New York market, and the team’s lack of consistent success in recent years.

However, Mendoza has the support of Mets general manager David Stearns. When asked on Friday whether he agreed that there should be more scrutiny on Mendoza, Stearns replied, “No. I think Mendy is doing a really good job,” before the Mets opened a series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. “I think he’s putting our players in position to succeed. He’s enormously consistent. So, no, I don’t agree with that.” When asked how Mendoza was putting players in position to succeed, Stearns elaborated: “I think both in terms of how he’s managing in the clubhouse, how he’s getting guys to the right pockets, whether it’s matchups out of the bullpen, the right matchups in games, I think he’s doing a good job.”