MLB Insider Suggests Mets’ Next Steps With Carlos Mendoza

Carlos Mendoza remains on the hot seat. One MLB insider suggests the Mets needs to make a call on his future sooner rather than later.

Apr 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets enter May with the worst record in baseball, which is not exactly how Steve Cohen and the team's fanbase envisioned things going. While injuries and underperformance haven't helped, the biggest target for change amongst the fans is manager Carlos Mendoza.

The Mets have lost 17 of their last 20 games pic.twitter.com/uwy6pYm9Mq

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 30, 2026

Two of the teams listed on the above graphic, Philadelphia and Boston, have already fired their managers to try and save their seasons. Mendoza is still holding onto his job for now as the Mets head west to begin a nine-game road trip, but MLB Insider Joel Sherman thinks the organization needs to make a declarative statement about their manager's future.

Steve Cohen and David Stearns need to pick a lane -- fire Mendoza or give him public support of time. Because this purgatory is not helping the Mets -- and it is just cruel to someone who has been a loyal employee.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) May 1, 2026

Sherman goes deeper into his thoughts in a piece for the New York Post. While the piece makes clear that Sherman believes neither Cohen or David Stearns want to fire Mendoza, he also feels that letting the manager twist in the wind is both cruel to Mendoza and a distraction to the team.

Carlos Mendoza says he hasn't had any conversations with David Stearns or Steve Cohen about his status moving forward pic.twitter.com/mbCqIopFue

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 28, 2026

From all accounts, it does seem like Mendoza is popular within the clubhouse and has the respect of his players. The problem is that he is managing in a lame duck situation and the team is underperforming, creating an intense pressure vacuum that is swallowing the locker room whole.

Why The Mets Need To Make A Decision On Carlos Mendoza Soon

The idea of pressure was perfectly embodied in Luke Weaver's postgame comments following Thursday's loss to the Washington Nationals. Weaver made it clear that he feels like everyone is trying to be perfect to get a good result, which is leading to excess mistakes and creating a very tight atmosphere in the clubhouse.

Luke Weaver offers up his perspective on the Mets' struggles:

"I've been sitting here trying to think about what to even say to you guys and what you're even going to ask. At the end of the day, this pursuit of perfection is an ultimate pressurized failure mindset.

Everybody… pic.twitter.com/Oni2ovQO4P

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 30, 2026

Having the added distraction of daily questions about the future of the manager isn't helping matters. As much as the Mets may like Mendoza as a person, they aren't doing him any favors by forcing him to answer questions about his job security every day while the team flounders.

There are only two ways for those questions to stop, at least in the short term. The Mets will either need to play better as a team or the organization needs to offer clarity on Mendoza's job status, which Sherman thinks can be as simple as a public statement of support from either Cohen or Stearns.

Providing a public backing of the manager would empower Mendoza a bit and ease some pressure in the locker room if the players know their manager isn't walking on eggshells every day. The opposite could also be true as letting Mendoza move on would release some pressure on the players, who appear to be pressing to get every little decision in a game correct in order to avoid losing again.

There is also an argument to be made that simply stating the manager is safe won't do enough to shake the team out of its malaise. The last time the Mets were 11 games below .500, back in May of 2024, saw Stearns remove three players from the roster and bring in three new faces, including Jose Iglesias.

That clubhouse shakeup helped spark the team to a dramatic turnaround, and perhaps a similar jettisoning of underperforming talent combined with a vote of confidence in Mendoza is necessary. Either way, it has become clear that simply running out the same group every day and hoping the law of averages breaks in their favor is not a successful strategy.

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