Phillies Have Officially Hired Don Mattingly as Manager

The Philadelphia Phillies have removed the interim tag from Don Mattingly, hiring him as manager.

Aug 13, 2026; Dyersville, Iowa, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) meets with the media before their game with the Minnesota Twins at the Field of Dreams. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have several items on their to-do list this offseason, with their No. 1 priority being figuring out their managerial situation.

Reports surfaced that the Phillies were strongly considering bringing back Don Mattingly, and that has now become official. According to Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, the team has officially named Mattingly their next manager.

The two sides have agreed to a two-year deal, with his contract running through the 2028 season. He was originally under contract as the team’s bench coach through 2027, but will be elevated to the top spot instead. This is a deal that will elicit strong reactions from people, with there being pros and cons to the hiring.

Fans will be a little underwhelmed by the hiring after watching their team suffer a near-collapse in September. It took until Game 162 for Philadelphia to clinch a playoff spot despite holding a multi-game lead in the final week of the season over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Phillies officially hire Don Mattingly as manager

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

Their stay in the postseason was a short one, being eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in their Wild Card matchup.

On the other side of the coin, Mattingly is someone who is familiar with the franchise, which carries a lot of value this winter. Because of the impending work stoppage, members of the team will not be allowed to have contact with players.

Since Mattingly was with the team in 2026, that won’t be as big of an issue to overcome as it will be for new managers being welcomed to a franchise in the next few weeks. The Phillies are a veteran-laden team, and several players have put their support behind the interim manager, so they will be happy about Mattingly sticking around and the continuity it provides.

Mattingly's deal is for two seasons, the Phillies announced. https://t.co/372qDjOnaH

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) October 14, 2026

Philadelphia also experienced a lot of success with him at the helm. When he took over for Rob Thomson, the team was 9-19. Under Mattingly, Philadelphia went 79-55, landing the No. 3 Wild Card spot in the National League.

Now that their managerial hiring is complete, the Phillies can focus on other priorities this offseason. Will the staff be changed after he inherited basically everyone from Thomson?

Along with that, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has some work to do with a roster that has several weaknesses to address. The bullpen and outfield are the most pressing, with Alec Bohm and Luis Arraez as the only starters hitting free agency.

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