Don Mattingly on Whether He Will Return as Phillies’ Manager Next Year

What will the Philadelphia Phillies do with interim manager Don Mattingly?

Sep 30, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly looks on during batting practice prior to game two of the Wildcard round against the Atlanta Braves in the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies' season ended with a whimper on Thursday in Game 3 of the Major League Baseball Wild Card Round at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, and now the autopsy begins.

There are so many questions that are being asked and need to be answered in order for the team to take the next step.

For instance, why did Aaron Nola get the start on the mound for Game 3 instead of Zack Wheeler? Nola got pulled in the second inning after giving up a three-run home run to Michael Harris II to open up the scoring in the first. Wheeler later came in, and before long, he surrendered a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies that put Philadelphia in a 5-0 hole.

But right now, the biggest question seems to be whether interim manager Don Mattingly will return in that role next season. He did a fairly good job this year after replacing Rob Thomson in late April, but all along, there has been the question of whether president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wants to keep him, no matter how popular he has been among fans.

Don Mattingly doesn't want to talk about it

Oct 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies Don Mattingly (8) walks to the dugout after removing starting pitcher Aaron Nola (not pictured) from the game against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Game 3, Mattingly was asked about his future with the team, and he didn't want to talk about it in the moment.

“It's not the time to talk about anything like that,” Mattingly said after the game, per MLB.com. “I'm not concerned about myself in this situation. I want the Phillies to do what they need to do to set themselves up for success. Yeah, I'm not really -- it's like, my stuff doesn't really matter.”

Before this season, Mattingly signed a two-year deal to be a bench coach for the Phillies. When he took over as manager, they were 9-19 and in obvious disarray. After that, they and their fans went through a roller coaster.

The team got hot in May and June, suffered through a prolonged slump right after the All-Star break, and started to get it together in August before becoming inconsistent again in September. He had to navigate through multiple roster holes, including a weak bullpen and a lack of right-handed batting threats.

While some fans in the Delaware Valley region are still big backers of "Donnie Baseball," and Mattingly himself said not too long ago that he would like to keep his job past this year, it is obviously all up to Dombrowski whether he will still be in charge next season.

“That’s Dave’s decision,” said Phillies managing partner John Middleton about whether Mattingly will remain as manager, via On Pattison.

Don Mattingly's fate may already be sealed

Sep 30, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) returns to the dugout after a visit to the mound in the seventh inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is fairly well known that Dombrowski courted Alex Cora earlier this year, but Cora turned down the offer in order to spend more time with his family, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Cora, of course, was Dombrowski's manager when the latter was the Boston Red Sox's president of baseball operations several years ago, and they won a World Series championship in 2018.

The speculation has been that Dombrowski will try to get Cora to take the Phillies' managing job again this offseason. Many fans have been screaming and begging, "No! Not him!" when it comes to possibly bringing in Cora for next season, especially since he was involved in the Houston Astros' cheating scandal in 2017.

Of course, there may not even be a next season, since many expect there to be a labor stoppage as owners push for the implementation of a salary cap.

In the meantime, Dombrowski and his team will have to watch the Braves take on the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a team Mattingly used to be in charge of, in the National League Division Series beginning on Saturday.

Phillies fans now have no choice but to hope that the Philadelphia Eagles or Philadelphia 76ers will bring home a world championship in the months to come, especially since there will likely be no baseball in 2027.

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