Phillies Need To Be Ready for Motivated Mets After Managerial Change

The Philadelphia Phillies are the first team who will face the New York Mets without Carlos Mendoza.

Jun 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies know the impact that a managerial change can have on a team after they made the tough decision to fire Rob Thomson 28 games into the season.

They were 9-19 when the move was made, toiling near the bottom of the National League standings when Don Mattingly was named interim manager. However, since the change was made, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball.

Philadelphia is now 45-36 on the season, only four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East race. They know as well as anyone not to underestimate a team who makes a managerial change, which is why they need to be on top of their game against the New York Mets.

Set to start a three-game series, the Mets will be playing under a new manager. Carlos Mendoza was fired amidst the team being on a six-game losing streak with a record of 34-47. Expected to be contenders this season, New York has fallen woefully short of expectations and is in the cellar of the NL East, 11 games behind the Phillies.

Phillies cannot underestimate Mets after managerial change

Jun 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks during a press conference before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. The club earlier today parted ways with manager Carlos Mendoza (not pictured). | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in a statement, via ESPN. "Carlos' impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward." 

Mendoza ended his tenure with the Mets with a 206-199 record. Andy Green is taking over as interim manager for the team.

It will be interesting to see what kind of changes, if any, are implemented as he looks to get New York back on track after a brutal 2026 to this point. In his first lineup, he is deploying Bo Bichette, the team’s big offseason free agent signing, at designated hitter, which should improve their overall defense.

pic.twitter.com/J7jaXExX4v

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 26, 2026

The Phillies have first-hand experience knowing that a managerial change can light a fire under a team. They won their first six series with Mattingly at the helm, and have looked like the kind of dominant team they were expected to be since that point.

It not only happened this year with Mattingly taking over for Thomson, but also when Thomson took over for Joe Girardi in 2022. Philadelphia was underachieving when Thomson replaced Girardi and got the club on track, helping lead them to the World Series.

A World Series turnaround may not be in the cards for the Mets, but teams normally receive a little bit of a boost when a change is made. The Phillies need to be cognizant of that and cannot let their guard down against New York.

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