Don Mattingly Receives Support From Phillies’ Stars

Philadelphia Phillies plays have put their support behind interim manager Don Mattingly.

Aug 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the 2026 MLB season officially over for the Philadelphia Phillies, they are moving into the offseason, where they have several major decisions to make.

Easily, the biggest item will be figuring out the next manager. After Rob Thomson was fired following a 9-19 start to the campaign, Don Mattingly took over on an interim basis, and the players responded to the change.

The Phillies went 79-55 under his watch, a .590 winning percentage. Despite the early hole, the team was able to claw their way back into the playoff race in the National League, earning the No. 3 Wild Card spot. While certainly an impressive achievement, it is far from a guarantee that Mattingly will be brought back as manager in a full-time role.

Given the relationship between Dave Dombrowski and Alex Cora, as long as he is available, rumors will swirl connecting him to the franchise. However, Philadelphia players are throwing their support behind Mattingly for the job.

Will Don Mattingly be back as manager of the Phillies?

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

“I liked him a lot,” Trea Turner said, via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). “I just felt like he was just calm, man. He was easy to talk to, talked to him about anything hitting (related). … If he needed to let you know something was wrong, he’d let you know.”

The veteran shortstop was one of the players whose struggles contributed to the team’s underwhelming success at points in the season. He had the least productive season of his career, struggling with the bat and glove defensively.

Turner took the onus for his struggles and was far from the only player who enjoyed having Mattingly as manager. Catcher J.T. Realmuto, who also had arguably the worst season of his career, liked what he saw from the interim manager.

“It’s not for me to decide, obviously,” Realmuto said. “But yeah, we love Donnie. We played well for him. He’s a great manager.”

Mattingly made the most of the situation he was handed. There were flaws with the roster, especially with the bullpen, but he rallied the players and got them to play at the level they were capable of after a brutal start.

Phillies veterans show support for Don Mattingly

Aug 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates with Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) after the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was that turnaround that designated hitter Kyle Schwarber highlighted when speaking about his interim manager.

“He did a great job for us when we were in that tough spot (in April), and the way that he was able to get us to turn that page from a really hard time where we lost our manager who brought us to a lot of important games,” Schwarber said. “… His demeanor was great for us and the way that he was able to get us to move on and … even when things got hard, the way he was able to keep things that even-keeled pace for us.”

On a roster full of star players, Mattingly could connect to them unlike other coaches, given his experience as a superstar during his playing days with the New York Yankees. That connection certainly helped him snap the team out of its funk.

It will be interesting to see how things develop this offseason. Mattingly wasn’t ready to discuss the topic after Philadelphia was eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Braves, but it will be a major storyline until a decision is made.

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