The New York Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday, the team announced, with the club toiling through a six-game losing streak in a disastrous season.
Andy Green was named interim manager for the remainder of the season. He will take over a 34-47 club coming off a hapless four-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs to fall to a season-worst 13 games under .500.
"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. "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."
The Mets will enter their series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in last place in the National League East, 6½ games behind the fourth-place Washington Nationals and 15 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. They're 9½ games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final NL wild-card bid.
Mendoza, 46, was in his third season as manager with a club option for 2027 that was not exercised. He led the Mets to an improbable appearance in the NL Championship Series in his first year at the helm in 2024, guiding the club from one of the worst records in the majors in June to within two games of the World Series.
But his second season was a failure as the Mets inverted the results from 2024, jumping out to the best record in the majors before capsizing over the season's final 3½ months and failing to reach the postseason.
The nightmare continued this season. The Mets entered the season with World Series expectations after Stearns, with owner Steve Cohen's backing, directed a transformative winter in response to 2025's slow-motion collapse.
Mendoza thanked owners Steve and Alex Cohen, Stearns, and the fans in a statement sent to ESPN.
"New York will always hold a special place in my heart," Mendoza said. "I leave with tremendous gratitude, pride in what we accomplished together, and confidence that the future of this organization is bright. I wish the Mets and their fans nothing but success in the years ahead."
Mendoza, who was previously the New York Yankees' bench coach, went 206-199 at the helm in Queens.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Carlos Mendoza for his leadership and unwavering commitment. He represented this organization with integrity and dedication throughout, and I wish him and his family all the best," Steve Cohen said in a statement. "Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed. There is no sugar coating it: this season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we've delivered."
Days after the Mets lost their 2025 regular-season finale against the Miami Marlins and fell short of reaching the playoffs, Stearns' first move was to dismiss most of Mendoza's coaching staff. The Mets' four longest-tenured players were gone by Jan. 1; Stearns traded Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz exited via free agency.
By spring training, the Mets had undergone a nearly complete makeover from the coaching staff down to the 26th player. Building around Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, the franchise's two cornerstones, Stearns acquired second baseman Marcus Semien from the Texas Rangers in a one-for-one trade for Nimmo, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox for infielder Luisangel Acuna and a prospect, and right-handers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers for two top prospects.
Stearns signed Bo Bichette, a shortstop in his seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, to play third base. Jorge Polanco, a middle infielder for his 12-year career, was added to play first base. Former Yankees relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were signed to form the back end of the Mets' bullpen.
The overhaul has backfired. Underperformance and injuries have besieged a team that has not been able to recover from a dismal 12-game losing streak in April.
Peralta has a 4.53 ERA for a rotation that has nosedived since Clay Holmes went on the injured list with a broken fibula in mid-May. Kodai Senga was moved to the bullpen this week after posting a 10.08 ERA in seven starts. David Peterson, an All-Star last season, was traded to the Cubs on Thursday after recording a 6.09 ERA in 16 outings. The Mets' 6.35 ERA in June is the worst in the majors.
The problem early in the season was the offense, largely thanks to injuries to Soto and Lindor. The Mets were without Soto as he recovered from a right calf strain he suffered April 3, and the offense plummeted without him. Soto returned April 22, only to have Lindor exit the game that night with a left calf strain. Lindor returned Wednesday after missing more than two months. The two stars have played just 10 games together.
Polanco has played in just 14 games this season. He has been on the injured list since April 18 with a left Achilles injury, and his timetable to return remains unknown. If he does return, he will likely be limited to designated hitter. Robert landed on the injured list two weeks later with a back injury after playing in 24 games. When he will return is also unclear.
Bichette was booed at Citi Field during the team's opening series and owned a .583 OPS through May before heating up in June. Semien was batting .214 with a .613 OPS before landing on the injured list with a left hip flexor strain Thursday.
Right-handed reliever Luis Garcia, who signed for $1.75 million guaranteed, was designated for assignment April 12. Williams and Weaver have been effective for a bullpen that ranks among the best in the majors.
But that hasn't been enough. In February, Cohen said making the playoffs was the baseline goal for the organization. As of Friday, their odds to reach the postseason are 5.2%, according to FanGraphs. Ultimately, Stearns and Cohen decided dismissing Mendoza, Stearns' pick as manager when he was hired, was the right move for any chance to salvage the season.