MLB Manager Hot Seat Rankings: Temperature Check on All 30 Skippers

We’re entering the final stretch of the 2026 MLB season, with September just around the corner. As teams prepare to make their final push for the postseason, there are some managers that will be coaching with their jobs on the line.

For some skippers, they’re still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship with the club, having not been given enough time to put their own vision in place. Others have nothing to worry about, or are happily married, having delivered on the expectations set by their respective organizations. There are also those who are reaching a critical juncture of their managerial careers, needing a big month of September to prove they’re the right man for the job.

We last did this exercise ahead of the ‘26 season, but a lot has changed since then, including three in-season managerial changes. Let’s look at all 30 MLB managers and assess where they stand with their teams across six different tiers of safety.

Happily Married

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gives thumbs up from dugout — Dave Roberts has the Dodgers ready to compete for a third straight World Series title. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dave Roberts, Dodgers

Roberts has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal in L.A., and so long as the team keeps winning, there’s not much reason to swap managers. The Dodgers are favorites to win the World Series again this season, and even if they fall short of the coveted three-peat, Roberts’s job is about as safe as they come at this point.

Kevin Cash, Rays

The Rays are cruising and have vastly exceeded expectations in 2026. The team owns the best record in the American League and has shown no signs of slowing down. There’s hardly a manager in MLB who has done more with less, and there’s no reason to believe Cash—the league’s longest-tenured manager—is at any risk of losing his job, especially after he re-upped with the team in ’24 on a deal that runs through at least ‘28.

Pat Murphy, Brewers

The Brewers have the best record in baseball and have consistently been one of the best teams in the sport under Murphy’s watch. The 67-year-old has guided Milwaukee to a .596 winning percentage during his tenure as the manager, and the team is on track for its third consecutive postseason berth. Having just re-upped with the Brewers in February, Murphy is under contract through 2028 and could stay with the team until he decides to retire.

Will Venable, White Sox

The White Sox have blown away all expectations and are on track to reach the postseason in Venable’s second season at the helm. After winning just 60 games last year, the 2026 White Sox needed just 116 games to match that tally, as Venable has helped the team turn things around after a couple of dreadful seasons. For a second-year skipper, Venable is doing an excellent job in Chicago.

Walt Weiss, Braves

After the Braves missed the postseason in Brian Snitker’s final campaign before retirement, Weiss has stepped up from being bench coach and brought the team back to the top of the NL East. Weiss is under contract through the 2028 season, and he’s done nothing to diminish Atlanta’s faith in him as the manager.

Stephen Vogt, Guardians

Vogt has been a manager for just three seasons, but he’s already earned two Manager of the Year awards after guiding the Guardians to back-to-back postseason berths. The team is still on track to reach the postseason this year, albeit narrowly, and Vogt should have plenty of confidence from the front office that he’s the right man for the job going forward.

Craig Counsell, Cubs

Counsell signed what was at the time the richest managerial contract in MLB history when he joined the Cubs in 2024––a five-year, $40 million pact that runs through the ‘29 season. Although Chicago is six games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, it owns the top spot in the wild-card race. The team won 92 games last season and is currently on pace for 93 wins, so Counsell should feel secure about his role with the Cubs—though fans will expect October success soon.

Seemingly safe

MLB — Clayton McCullough is in his second season as the manager of the Marlins. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Clayton McCullough, Marlins

The Marlins have had something of an up-and-down season, but they remain in the wild-card race, trailing the Padres by four games. At 67–65, it’s hard to fault the work McCullough’s done this season, with the exception of a painful 12-game losing streak. Overall, it’s been a solid season for the Marlins, so McCullough has likely extended his leash as the manager a bit.

A.J. Hinch, Tigers

Hinch’s job is relatively safe, though it’ll be hard for the front office to ignore what’s been a largely disappointing season for the Tigers. After winning a playoff series in each of the last two years, Detroit was favored in MLB’s perennially winnable division but is closer to the cellar than first place. Hinch has another year left on his contract, and it doesn’t appear as if the Tigers are seriously considering making a change. A manager with a lesser pedigree would be less comfortable.

Warren Schaeffer, Rockies

The Rockies are limping toward another ugly finish this year, though it’s hard to blame Schaeffer for that considering the general lack of talent on the roster. Colorado won just 43 games last season, going 36–86 after Schaeffer took over as interim manager in place of Bud Black. It seems unlikely, given the state of the organization, that Schaeffer would be hooked after his first full season.

Oliver Marmol, Cardinals

The Cardinals were expected to be at the bottom of the barrel in the NL Central this season, having parted ways with some key veterans at last year’s trade deadline and in the offseason. They’ve exceeded expectations, currently sitting at .500 on the year. Marmol is signed on for another few seasons, so the team likely won’t be thinking about making a change.

Terry Francona, Reds

The Reds have been disappointing this season, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll move on from Francona, one of MLB’s most respected managers, after just two seasons. With one more year left on his contract, Francona will very likely be in charge in Cincinnati in ‘27 if he wants to be.

Mark Kotsay, Athletics

The Athletics are bad, though that’s hardly a surprise. Flush with young talent, the A’s are aiming to be ready to compete when they make their coveted move to Las Vegas in 2028. The ‘28 season also happens to be the final year of Kotsay’s current contract, so his job as manager of the Athletics will likely be safe for at least another season, despite some disappointing results this year.

Critical Juncture Ahead

MLB — Aaron Boone is in his ninth season as the Yankees manager. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Matt Quataro, Royals

Quataro and the Royals have had a tremendously disappointing season in 2026, but he likely has some leeway given he just signed a contract that runs through ‘29. Still, it’s impossible to rule out a managerial switch if Kansas City continues to struggle. Currently sitting in the cellar of the AL Central, a division they were expected to be competing to win, the Royals skipper’s leash may be running out of slack, though a strong conclusion to the season could restore some faith in his ability to lead the team going forward.

Aaron Boone, Yankees

Boone hasn’t delivered a World Series title for the Yankees in his nine seasons as the club’s manager. For an organization that’s not won a championship since 2009, and expects to compete for one on a yearly basis, that simply isn’t good enough. He’s been given a long leash by Brian Cashman and the rest of the front office, but patience may run out if the Yankees don’t make a deep postseason run this year.

Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks haven’t returned to the postseason since their surprise World Series appearance in 2023. After missing out in back-to-back seasons, Lovullo may be on the chopping block if Arizona fails to qualify again. He’s in the final year of his contract with the D-Backs, and a postseason berth seems like the minimum requirement for Lovullo to be awarded a new deal. At present, Arizona sits one game behind the Padres in the NL wild-card race.

Craig Albernaz, Orioles

Albernaz was only just hired by the Orioles last offseason, but the team’s struggles could spell an early end to his tenure. Albernaz was hired to turn around a talent-laden but underperforming Baltimore squad, and he’s ultimately failed to do so, as the Orioles sit on the fringe of the wild-card race at 64–68. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Albernaz got a second season at the helm, but if Baltimore struggles down the stretch, the 43-year-old could wind up being a one-and-done.

John Schneider, Blue Jays

Would Toronto really move on from Schneider just a year after he led them to a World Series appearance, and came an inning away from winning a championship? Considering the Blue Jays’ struggles this season, it’s not out of the question. Despite a lackluster campaign, the Jays are in the thick of crowded AL wild-card race, so reaching the postseason isn’t out of the question. But if they miss out, it could mark the end of Schneider’s five-year run in Toronto.

Dan Wilson, Mariners

The Mariners have had a disappointing season after enjoying their best-ever campaign in 2025. Seattle has failed to capitalize on the AL West being the weakest its been in years, currently sitting in third place behind the Rangers and Astros. If the Mariners can’t sneak into the postseason in a lackluster American League, Wilson may find himself out of a job.

Craig Stammen, Padres

The Padres have bounced back after a woeful start to this season, but there’s still work to do as the team looks to cement its spot in the postseason. If San Diego doesn’t make the playoffs, there’s a real chance that Stammen will be out after just one season. September will be a critical month for Stammen’s long-term outlook as the Padres’ skipper.

Honeymoon Phase

MLB — Skip Schumaker is in his first season as manager of the Rangers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Skip Schumaker, Rangers

The Rangers haven’t blown anyone away this season, but they’re practically neck-and-neck with the Astros for the top spot in the AL West as we approach the final month of the regular season. In his first year as Texas’s skipper, Schumaker could lead the team back to the postseason for the first time since the Rangers won the World Series in 2023. With multiple years left on his contract, there’s no reason the Rangers would be looking to switch things up so early on into his tenure.

Derek Shelton, Twins

Shelton is in his first season as the Twins’ manager and has the team in the thick of the wild-card race, even while missing some key players to injury. He’s made the most of a depleted roster and shouldn’t be considered at risk of losing his job.

Blake Butera, Nationals

Butera is MLB’s youngest manager, having just turned 34 earlier this month, and he’s done an impressive job with the Nationals despite the team’s second-half struggles. Washington won just 66 games last season, a tally the Butera-led squad figures to beat comfortably this season, having already secured 62 wins. The postseason has slipped out of reach, but a strong first half should have fans somewhat confident in Butera’s credentials as a skipper.

Don Kelly, Pirates

Don Kelly shed the interim tag this offseason and became the full-time manager of the Pirates. Pittsburgh got off to a roaring start but have since simmered down considerably, though it doesn’t seem as if the front office is seriously mulling a managerial change. Kelly should be back with the Pirates next season, though his seat may get warm quickly if they get out to a slow start in 2027.

Tony Vitello, Giants

Things haven’t gone particularly well for Vitello in his first MLB season after a highly successful career at Tennessee. Vitello is the first person to go straight from the college managerial ranks to the major leagues without any prior professional coaching experience. He didn’t inherit the greatest situation in San Francisco, and while it’s been a fairly disappointing season, he’ll likely be given a long leash as he finds his footing in MLB.

Interim managers

MLB — Don Mattingly is the interim manager of the Phillies. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Don Mattingly, Phillies

Despite overseeing the Phillies’ dramatic turnaround after the slow start of the season that ultimately cost Rob Thomson his job, there’s no guarantee Mattingly, 65, will be the manager of the future in Philadelphia. A deep postseason run could keep him in the role next season, especially considering his son, Preston, is the Phillies GM. But the team has also been linked to formed Red Sox boss Alex Cora, indicating the organization isn’t fully sold on having Mattingly become its next full-time manager.

Andy Green, Mets

Green, the Mets' former senior vice president of player development, was an interesting choice to take over as interim manager of the Mets after the team fired Carlos Mendoza in late June. The former Padres skipper won’t retain the role after this season, and will instead return to the front office. Green’s hire was always going to be a temporary move, as the team intends to conduct a managerial search during the offseason.

Chad Tracy, Red Sox

Tracy was hired as the Red Sox’s interim manager after the team fired Alex Cora just 27 games into this season. Boston was underwhelming for much of the season until a July run saw them win 15 consecutive games. The Sox have vaulted themselves back into postseason contention under Tracy’s watch, and their impressive summer could result in the 46-year-old shedding the interim tag during the offseason.

Lame Ducks Walking

MLB — Astros manager Joe Espada has one of the hottest seats in the majors. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joe Espada, Astros

Espada is in the last year of his contract and was hired by Dana Brown, who was fired Monday on the heels of a disappointing homestand in which Houston lost six of nine games against division opponents, including the lowly Athletics and Angels. The Astros are at risk of missing the postseason for the second straight season after having been to the playoffs in eight consecutive years. Espada seems likely to follow Brown out the door at the end of this season, with little chance for retention beyond a stunning run deep into October.

Kurt Suzuki, Angels

Suzuki signed a rather unusual one-year deal to take over as the Angels’ manager this season. It’s his first time serving as a manager for an MLB club, and he hasn’t exactly impressed. There weren’t lofty expectations for Anaheim this season, but at 52–80, the Halos are “battling” with the Rockies for the worst record in the league, and Suzuki likely hasn’t done enough to warrant a new deal.

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