Donnie Baseball, aka Don Mattingly, will NOT be the manager of the New York Yankees (for at least the next two years).
It’s not like there was much of a chance that the Yankees fired Aaron Boone in favor of Don Mattingly, but there had been some slight chatter that IF the Yanks fired Boone, Mattingly stood out as a potential candidate to be the skipper in New York.
However, the news was released from Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon that longtime New York Yankees player Don Mattingly will be the team’s skipper for the next two seasons.
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Don Mattingly Signs Contract to Become Phillies Full-Time Manager
After taking over the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse early on in the 2026 season and leading the team to the MLB playoffs after a disastrous start, Don Mattingly is now the full-time manager of the Phillies for the next two seasons.
MLBTR.com’s Charlie Wright wrote (about Mattingly):
“The early playoff exit ultimately didn’t cost Mattingly a shot at the head job. With changes likely coming for the roster, some stability at the top makes sense. Mattingly has a dozen seasons of managerial experience on his resume. He was at the helm for the Dodgers from 2011 through 2015. Mattingly spent seven seasons leading the Marlins, a stint that included NL Manager of the Year honors in 2020. The 65-year-old Mattingly has a career 968-1005 record as a manager, though much of that losing record is attributable to the Marlins’ basement-level payrolls and frequent rebuilding status during his time in Miami.”
As an MLB player (in the 80s and 90s), Mattingly spent 14 seasons with the New York Yankees (the only MLB team he played for), which is the ultimate reason for any speculation that he could take the Yankees job (if it were to become open). Again, all hypothetical.
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Taking a Quick Look at Don Mattingly’s Career with the Yankees
In the wake of the news that Don Mattingly will be the next full-time manager of the Phillies, let’s take a quick look at his playing career.
Mattingly played with the New York Yankees from 1982 to 1995.
Donnie Baseball was named to six MLB All-Star teams and won the AL MVP in 1985.
Across 1785 total games played, Mattingly batted .307 with 222 home runs, 1099 RBI, and a lifetime OPS+ of 127.
He didn’t play in an ERA of Yankees baseball where World Series championships were the norm, but he was a great Yankees player, and an absolute baseball lifer.
In his 1985 MVP season, Mattingly clubbed 35 home runs, 48 doubles, and drove in 145 runs, which ended up being good for an OPS+ of 156 (OPS: .939).
Good for Don Mattingly sticking around longer as an MLB manager and continuing to get his crack at a World Series victory as a skipper.
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