Don Mattingly will not be returning to his position as the Blue Jays’ bench coach in 2026, but he doesn’t intend to retire just yet.
Mattingly, 64, joined the Blue Jays in November 2022 as the bench coach for first-time manager John Schneider, who had been named Toronto’s permanent skipper the previous month after filling the role on an interim basis during the ’22 season.
"Kind of had a pretty good feeling that this was going to be my last year in Toronto," Mattingly said at a meet-and-greet for Gold Glovers at MLB's flagship store on Thursday afternoon. "And really, when I went to Toronto, when [general manager] Ross [Atkins] called me, I was thrilled. I had a great time there. The organization's been tremendous. The fans there are tremendous. It's been a great run. But I thought before the year started, that I felt like this was kind of the end with Toronto, and really nothing more than that. Just felt like it was the right time."
Mattingly, whose contract was up after the 2025 Fall Classic, could have opted to pursue a reunion with Toronto after the club’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion with a Game 7 loss to the Dodgers. There was also some speculation that he might retire after reaching the World Series for the first time in his career. Mattingly said he's not sure yet what his next step will be.
"I think the thing I wrestle with is trying to balance family with a 10-year-old, trying to balance that with still loving doing what I'm doing, and then balancing the road," he said. "I’m 64, I feel good, but the road kind of wears you down. If I talked about it right now, the last thing I want to do is be on the road, but you never know how you feel a month from now, or whatever."
For Mattingly, the 2025 season marked yet another narrow miss in his quest for a championship. The former Yankees great went nearly his entire playing career without reaching the playoffs before getting a taste of postseason baseball in his final season (1995), when New York lost to Seattle in five games in the ALDS. The following year, the Yankees won their first of four championships in a five-year span.
With the Blue Jays, Mattingly had been an extremely valuable resource to manager John Schneider, who’s often told stories about growing up in New Jersey with posters of Donnie Baseball on his wall. After moving from the “offensive coordinator” role back into the more traditional role of bench coach in Toronto, Mattingly had been heavily involved with the Blue Jays’ pre-game planning and in-game decision making on the offensive side. Having one of the best defensive first basemen of all time around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. didn’t hurt, either.
“Donnie is a role model of humility and professionalism,” said Blue Jays’ president and CEO Mark Shapiro. “I’ve known him for a very long time and been around him on a daily basis. There are certain people – David Bell is similar for me – you talk to them and you forget what they’ve accomplished in the game because their level of humility is just so incredibly high. Donnie is one of those guys. He’s a borderline Hall-of-Fame player, one of the great modern Yankee players. He’s also managed and done so many other things. His knowledge of the game is so elite.”
Mattingly was also part of the Yankees’ coaching staff the year the club blew a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. His coaching tenure with the Bronx Bombers ended after the 2007 campaign; two years later, the Yankees won it all again. He went on to manage the Dodgers from 2011-15 but was unable to lead them past the NLCS and was replaced by Dave Roberts. He also managed the Marlins from 2016-22 before joining the Blue Jays’ staff.
When asked about a potential return to the Yankees' coaching staff in some capacity, Mattingly did not rule it out, but he said "at this point I just want to chill and figure out what I want to do."
As he weighs his baseball future, Mattingly will also await the results of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot, which will be announced Dec. 7. The six-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and 1985 AL MVP is one of eight players up for consideration.