Former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza’s tenure came to an unceremonious end last week, with little more than a passive-voice social media post and a combative press conference with General Manager David Stearns. With the team coming off an embarrassing series against the Chicago Cubs and officially falling into the depths of the wild card standings, the club decided to move on.
Some would say this move came too late; others would reserve most or all their venom for Stearns, his formulas, and
his questionable roster construction. Either way, the Mendoza era is over, and his legacy is mixed. He’ll always be associated with the incredible 2024 playoff run, but also with a classic Mets collapse in 2025, followed by a classic Mets underperformance in 2026.
Mendoza finished with a 207-200 record as Mets skipper, which is ninth all-time in wins, and his winning percentage (.509) is ranked seventh. He joined Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine, Willie Randolph, and Terry Collins as the only managers to lead the team to Game 6 of the NLCS or better.
Of course, looking purely at wins, losses, or winning percentage can be misleading. Mendoza may have a better percentage than Berra (.497) or Collins (.486), but no Mets fan is picking Mendoza over those two. Berra and Collins both won the NL East and the pennant as managers, while Mendoza’s playoff run will always be remembered as lightning in a bottle, aided by an expanded playoff.
The ’24 Mets squeaked into the postseason thanks to a 12-team format implemented in 2022, a benefit many of Mendoza’s predecessors didn’t enjoy. Had that format been around, maybe we’d look at Randolph’s time as manager differently. Randolph was also eventually fired midseason like Mendoza, but the collapses of 2007 and 2008 loom large for his legacy. Had the expanded postseason been around then, Mets fans would have fewer bad memories. Still, Randolph’s NLCS run with the beloved 2006 squad and subsequent flameout echo the Mendoza era.
Mendoza also had the benefit of a star-studded roster during his time with the Mets. Former manager Dallas Green managed a similar number of games (512) as Mendoza, but his best players according to WAR during his two full seasons were Jeff Kent (3.2) and Brent Saberhagen (5.7). Kent, a Hall of Famer, was still young and a few years off from being a perennial All-Star and a regular in the top 10 of MVP voting. Saberhagen was at the end of his best years on the mound with his two Cy Young awards in the rearview mirror. By contrast, Mendoza had healthy prime seasons from Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Juan Soto. Lindor and Soto are on pace for the HOF, while Alonso could have a case if his power numbers continue deep into his 30s.
Jerry Manuel managed 417 games after taking over for Randolph, the closest of any former manager to matching Mendoza’s length of stay. Unlike Mendoza, Manuel’s Mets teams were largely aging and injured. He never reached the playoffs, and certainly didn’t have as memorable a tenure as Mendoza.
Hired to replace Buck Showalter before the ’24 season, Mendoza pledged his allegiance to Gary, Keith, and Ron before the team came out and stunk it up through 55 games. Then, like a miracle, the team flipped a switch and made the deep playoff run. Mendoza finished third in NL Manager of the Year voting and beat the winner, Pat Murphy, and his Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card series.
The ’24 Mets turnaround came at least in part due to Mendoza moving Lindor to the leadoff spot in late May of that season, which helped unlock the lineup for a strong finish. Lindor recorded a .922 OPS with 24 home runs after the change, which was probably one of the single best lever pulls Mendoza made during his tenure.
The Mets opened the ’25 season where they left off in ’24, winning a bunch of games. Under Mendoza’s watch, the Mets were the winningest team in baseball between June 1 ’24 and June 1 ’25. However, Injuries started to pile up, and the team derailed, missing the playoffs with an embarrassing loss to the Marlins in Game 162.
The Mets used an MLB-record 46 pitchers in ’25, prompting criticism from former Mets pitcher Adam Ottavino. A key bullpen arm in the playoff run of ’24 but no longer on the team, Ottovino ripped Mendoza and the club’s approach to handling the pitching staff.
“This is embarrassing, this is actually pathetic, like pathetic. I would’ve never let this happen if I were on the team last year,” Ottovino said regarding the steady stream of pitching injuries. “At least half of these guys wouldn’t have blown out. I would have protected these dudes myself; I would have had to jump in front of them myself. Unfortunately, there was nobody willing to stand up and talk to Carlos (in 2025).”
With a revamped roster for ’26, the Mets have been a disappointment in nearly every way. Injuries to Lindor, Soto, Clay Holmes, and a host of other expected contributors, combined with the lineup’s questionable approach and the general underperformance of an expensive roster, made Mendoza’s firing inevitable.
While Ottavino was quick to criticize Mendoza as early as last year, current Mets players like Lindor felt they had let Mendoza down.
“We failed Mendy,” he said after the firing. “I failed Mendy. I didn’t play to my capability to help him win as many games as we could. And yeah, this one’s on us as well.”
His time as manager ended with a whimper, but Mendoza’s role in the NLCS run stands out in Mets history. Based on results, the top tier of New York managers has to include World Series-winning skippers Hodges and Johnson. The second tier belongs to pennant winners and beloved long-term managers like Berra, Valentine, and Collins. Mendoza’s postseason success and win count probably put him in a third tier with Randolph. Time may soften the lows and sharpen the highs of the Mendoza era. In other words, we’ll always have 2024, even if that’s about it.
