Why Don Mattingly Is the Perfect Fit for This Phillies Club

Don Mattingly has what it takes to help turn the Philadelphia Phillies around.

Apr 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (8) in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With the team wallowing at the bottom of the MLB standings, something had to be done by the decision makers of the Philadelphia Phillies.

A lot has gone wrong, but turning over an entire roster is virtually impossible. So, manager Rob Thomson was fired, with Dom Mattingly being named the interim manager in his place.

It is certainly tough to see someone as well-respected as Thomson lose a job, but it was a necessary move to try and spark a team that is too talented to be playing at the level that it has thus far.

When the move was made, the Phillies were tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in the sport at 9-19. Mattingly is walking into a mess, but he is the perfect person to help get this team back on track.

Don Mattingly has tall task ahead of him with Phillies

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) in the dugout before start of game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

When taking a look at his managerial career, it is fair to question why. At his last job with the Miami Marlins, the team went 443-587 in seven seasons, finishing above the .500 mark only one time, and it was the Covid-19 shortened campaign in 2020 when they went 31-29.

Fired after the 2022 season, this will be the first time he has been a manager of a team since. But it is the work he did earlier in his career, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which should give Philadelphia fans some hope.

Mattingly led the Dodgers to a winning record every year he was at the helm. In his final three years, they won the National League West and made the playoffs each time. But it is how they won two of those divisional titles that sticks out.

In 2013, Los Angeles was 12 games under the .500 mark and 9.5 games behind in the NL West race. The questions surrounding the franchise weren’t whether the Dodgers would climb back into the playoff race, but rather, when would Mattingly be fired?

First won in the books pic.twitter.com/gVuDmNjqjN

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 29, 2026

Ned Colletti, the general manager of the Dodgers at the time, held firm in his commitment to Mattingly. He retold a story about an interaction he had with insider Ken Rosenthal during the tough stretch.

“I said, ‘Kenny, they’re going to have to fire me before they fire him,’” Colletti recalled Tuesday, via Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required), “because I ain’t firing him.”

That confidence was rewarded. After starting 30-42, the team went on a tear, finishing with 92 wins and running away with the NL West title, finishing 11 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The very next year, Los Angeles was struggling once again with a 32-31 record. They would finish that campaign with 94 victories and another divisional title, which they finished six games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.

Don Mattingly looking to repeat Dodgers turnaround with Phillies

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) acknowledges the crowd after win against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Not only do the Phillies have the common denominator in those turnarounds in Mattingly as manager, but there are similarities to the roster as well. There are veterans off to slow starts in the lineup who should be able to regress to the mean positively.

The Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke atop their rotation. Philadelphia has a potentially elite starting rotation with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo leading the way. If Aaron Noal can regain his form at all and Andrew Painter lives up to his lofty prospect billing, they can go toe-to-toe with any rotation.

With more than an extra month to work with, staring at a 10.5-game deficit in the standings and being 10 games under .500 before the calendar even flips to May is light work for Mattingly.