Don Mattingly Open to Managing Phillies Next Season

Don Mattingly is making it clear that he would welcome the opportunity to manage the Philadelphia Phillies beyond this season, should the front office reach out to him. In an interview with ESPN prior to the Phillies’ 11-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Mattingly stated, “Oh, I would do it. I committed myself to two years with the Phillies when I came over. So whatever (president of baseball operations) Dave (Dombrowski) wants to do in that regard. But yeah, I think I would like to do it.”

Mattingly joined the Phillies in January as their bench coach, following three seasons in the same role with the Toronto Blue Jays. His tenure took a significant turn on April 28 when he was appointed interim manager after the dismissal of Rob Thomson. Under Mattingly’s leadership, the team has turned its fortunes around, boasting a record of 43-22, which ranks as the second-best in Major League Baseball since he took over. This is a stark contrast to the 9-19 record the team had under Thomson.

When Mattingly stepped in, the Phillies found themselves 10.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East on May 22. However, the team has made remarkable strides since then, now trailing the Braves by just three games and sharing the second wild-card spot in the National League with the Miami Marlins.

Adding a unique twist to this narrative, Mattingly’s son, Preston, serves as the general manager of the Phillies. This father-son dynamic marks what is believed to be the first manager-general manager duo in baseball history, adding another layer of intrigue to the Phillies’ current situation.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.