Don Mattingly Predicted to Win National League Manager of the Year

The Philadelphia Phillies turnaround could lead to some recognition for Don Mattingly.

May 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (8) reacts in the dugout before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In late April, the Philadelphia Phillies were 9-19, and it looked like this season was going to be a failure for them, even though they sported a fairly star-studded roster.

The team reacted by firing Rob Thomson, who had been their manager since 2022, and replacing him with bench coach Don Mattingly.

Mattingly has been there and done that in Major League Baseball. He was the Los Angeles Dodgers' manager from 2011 to 2015, and during that time, he helped to start transforming them from a dormant doormat into a perennial contender. He was then at the helm of the Miami Marlins from 2016 to 2022.

Of course, Mattingly had a stellar playing career from 1982 to 1995, and he had the bad fortune of playing for the New York Yankees during those years when they weren't quite the standard-bearer franchise they were in the late 1970s and late 1990s.

Don Mattingly predicted to win NL Manager of the Year Award

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly before the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But in his new role as interim manager of the Phillies, "Donnie Baseball" has turned the team around and made it into a contender. After Philadelphia defeated the New York Mets 6-1 on Saturday, it held a 55-44 record and trailed the first-place Atlanta Braves by just two games in the National League East.

The Athletic surveyed its MLB staff (subscription required) on how this season will play out, and Mattingly got the most votes for the National League Manager of the Year -- 36% of them, to be exact.

Mattingly previously won the award in 2020 when the Marlins went 31-29 during the pandemic-shortened season. He finished second in the balloting for that honor in 2013 when the Dodgers went 92-70 and made their first playoff appearance since 2009 while reaching the National League Championship Series.

That's the stuff 👍#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/eMqym6bwud

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 18, 2026

These days, he's finding himself having to work around a couple of roster holes in Philadelphia while leveraging the great talents of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber at the plate. Right-handed starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is having a career-best season despite being 36 years of age just months after undergoing surgery for a serious blood clot, and Cristopher Sanchez has made himself into one of the National League's better starting pitchers.

The Phillies' relief pitching staff is lacking, and there are concerns about their position players in the outfield. But they have been riding fairly high over the last couple of months, and their playoff hopes are alive and kicking.

They will be tested very soon when they face the Dodgers and New York Yankees in succession starting on Monday. But for now at least, Philadelphia sports fans seem very happy with the job Mattingly is doing.

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