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.
Instead, Stearns called Mendoza on Friday morning to deliver the news that he was safe.
“I understand the situation,” Mendoza said later that afternoon at Angel Stadium before the Mets' series opener in Anaheim. “We all understand the situation. It’s good to have that conversation with him, but at the end of the day, we have a job and we have a responsibility.
"Since Day 1, since I’ve been in this job, I feel the support from Steve and Alex [Cohen] and David. Like, I love working for them. We have a really good working relationship here. But it’s about the results on the field as well. Steve is not happy. Alex is not happy. David is not happy. And I’m not happy. All of us are frustrated. Together, we’ve got to find a way to get these guys out of this funk.”
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.
"We are all in this together,” Mendoza said. “We lose together, we win together. And that’s how we will continue to do this. … We’re all responsible, and it starts with me.”
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.
“There’s pressure, especially here in New York,” Mendoza said. “When there’s high expectations and you’re not playing the way you’re capable of or you’re not meeting those expectations, situations like this will come up. There’s a lot of superstars there in that locker room. They understand. But the messaging is the same from them as well, [that] we’re in this together.”
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.
“Me and my family understand what comes with this job,” Mendoza said. “From the very beginning, I’m grateful for the support that I have from my family. But look, man, we understand it’s a business. We’ve just got to continue to show up, and I’ve got to do my job, and that’s to get the best out of these guys.”