NEW YORK -- For the last three months, Carlos Mendoza manned the helm of one of the most disappointing teams in baseball -- certainly one of the most disappointing teams in recent Mets memory. His bosses took pains to assure anyone questioning Mendoza’s job status that the club’s shortcomings were not his fault.
This week, however, the losing became too loud to ignore. The Mets announced Friday that they have dismissed Mendoza as manager and replaced him with vice president of player development Andy Green on an interim basis.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Carlos Mendoza for his leadership and unwavering commitment,” owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “He represented this organization with integrity and dedication throughout, and I wish him and his family all the best. Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed. There is no sugar coating it: this season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.”
Despite Mendoza’s popularity with the front office and ownership, his job status came under scrutiny when the Mets went 9-19 over their first 28 games to fall into last place in the NL East, with a 12-game losing streak defining that stretch. In early May, president of baseball operations David Stearns offered Mendoza a public vote of confidence, which seemed to provide some temporary relief; the Mets won 11 of their next 16 games to offer some semblance of hope that they could still compete for a playoff spot.
Over the next month and a half, the Mets played well enough to hold their position but not nearly well enough to climb back into serious contention. Then came this week, when the Mets lost six consecutive games, including a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Cubs that included a six-error game in the nightcap. At the time of Mendoza’s dismissal, the Mets were 34-47, better than only two teams, the Rockies and Giants, in the National League.
This marks the first time the Mets have replaced a manager in-season since Willie Randolph in May 2008. Mendoza completed his tenure with a 206-199 record over two and a half seasons. His .509 career winning percentage ranks seventh highest among the 25 managers in franchise history.
“Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis,” Stearns said in a statement. “Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward.”
Mendoza, 46, spent four seasons as the Yankees’ bench coach before Stearns tabbed him to replace Buck Showalter in November 2023. His tenure began inauspiciously, as the 2024 Mets lost 35 of their first 59 games. But they rallied to play .612 ball the rest of the way, qualifying for the playoffs in their penultimate game of the regular season and riding that momentum to within two wins of the World Series. Mendoza received much of the credit for helping cultivate a tight clubhouse atmosphere famous for its “OMG” vibes.
Although the Mets seemed primed to build on that momentum in Mendoza’s second season, the opposite happened. Owners of Major League Baseball’s best record on June 12, 2025, the Mets played .409 ball over their final 93 games to miss the playoffs on the season’s final day. Days later, they moved on from almost their entire coaching staff, including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first-base coach Antoan Richardson, who both immediately landed jobs with the rival Braves.
But Mendoza, who was entering the final season of his initial three-year contract, stuck around.
Stearns spent the rest of that offseason remaking the roster, replacing mainstays Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz with newcomers Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr. and Devin Williams, among others. Mendoza’s job was to make it all jell. Yet after starting 7-4 to jump into first place in the NL East, the Mets lost 15 of their next 17 games, leading to the months-long discussion in Flushing about his job status.
Green, 48, previously managed the Padres from 2016-19, producing a losing record in all four of his seasons before being dismissed in September of his final season. He has spent the past three years leading the Mets’ player development department, which has produced players such as Nolan McLean and Carson Benge.
A self-described baseball lifer, Mendoza played 10 seasons as a Minor League infielder before joining the Yankees as a low-level farm system coach in 2009. From there, he worked his way up the ladder, managing in the Minors and in Venezuelan Winter Ball before joining the Yankees’ staff for the 2020 season. Four years later, the Mets gave Mendoza his dream job as a Major League manager.
“New York will always hold a special place in my heart,” Mendoza said in a statement. “I leave with tremendous gratitude, pride in what we accomplished together, and confidence that the future of this organization is bright. I wish the Mets and their fans nothing but success in the years ahead.”