Mets 'don't intend to make a change' away from Mendoza, says Stearns

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Amid one of the worst starts in franchise history, the Mets are backing their manager. Carlos Mendoza will remain at the helm for the Mets, president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday morning.

“We know our record is not what we want, and we know we are capable of more,” Stearns told MLB.com. “We don’t view this as a manager problem, and we don’t intend to make a change.”

Team confidence in Mendoza has not waned despite a 10-21 start, the third-worst in franchise history through 31 games after the 1981 (8-22-1) and 1964 (9-22) teams. Stearns and owner Steve Cohen have had no serious conversations about firing Mendoza even as two other prominent managers, Alex Cora of the Red Sox and Rob Thomson of the Phillies, were dismissed last month.

In the eyes of team decision-makers, the blame should be spread throughout the organization, from baseball operations to the clubhouse. Injuries to Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and others have wreaked havoc on an offense that ranks near the bottom of the league in many major statistical categories, including 29th in runs. Club officials do not place the responsibility for that on Mendoza.

Instead, Mendoza will be given a chance to execute one of the more dramatic turnarounds in baseball history. With 131 games still to play, Mets officials believe there is enough time for the Mets to run back up the National League standings, as they did with Mendoza at the helm after starting 24-35 over their first 59 games in 2024. While no team has ever lost 12 consecutive games and made the playoffs, the sample size on that remains miniscule since MLB expanded to 14 playoff teams in 2022.

While it’s possible the Mets could change their mind regarding Mendoza much later in the season, he will be in no imminent danger of losing his job even if the team continues to slide during a nine-game West Coast trip that opens Friday night in Anaheim. Similarly, Cohen has given Stearns at least some assurances that his own role is safe. Mets officials believe in the roster they have constructed and the process that led them to this point, even as success has not followed.

Cohen said in Spring Training that his “table stakes” goal is for the Mets to make the playoffs, then see what happens from there.

Mendoza, 46, is in the final guaranteed season of the three-year contract he signed to become Mets manager prior to the 2024 season. The Mets hold a 2027 club option on him. He owns a 182-173 record over parts of three seasons as manager.