Phillies Hire Don Mattingly on 2-Year Deal After 73-45 Turnaround

Q: Can Don Mattingly finally break his 47-year World Series curse, or will the Phillies' catastrophic bullpen doom them again?

Don Mattingly can help the Phillies contend, but he is unlikely to “break the curse” unless Philadelphia fixes the bullpen that has repeatedly undermined October runs. The case for Mattingly is real. After taking over a 9-19 team, he guided Philadelphia to a 73-45 or 79-55 finish, depending on the cutoff used, and restored stability in a clubhouse that still has Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez. Players backed him publicly, and the front office valued continuity, especially with labor uncertainty looming this winter. His résumé also suggests competence, even if his career as player, coach and manager still lacks a World Series title. But the bigger issue is not Mattingly’s track record. It is relief pitching. The Phillies’ bullpen was a major weakness again: one report pegged it at a 4.34 ERA this season, another said it ranked 21st in ERA after Mattingly took over, and postseason numbers were worse, including a 6.82 ERA over the last two playoffs and an 11.42 ERA when protecting leads. Late-season instability was obvious as key options faltered, roles shifted and injuries thinned depth. That means Mattingly’s fate is tied less to superstition than roster construction. If Dave Dombrowski adds dependable high-leverage arms and Mattingly sharpens bullpen usage, the Phillies have enough star power and rotation quality to make a serious run. If the relief corps remains volatile, another October exit is the more probable outcome.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 14

Don Mattingly signed a two-year contract to stay on as Philadelphia Phillies manager after taking over on an interim basis midseason.
A 73-45 run under Mattingly followed the Phillies' 9-19 start that led to Rob Thomson's firing, though the club lost five of its last 15 games and exited in the NL Wild Card Series.
Philadelphia is betting its veteran core — including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber — can still contend, with Aaron Nola and Christopher Sanchez also under multiyear deals.
The move keeps Mattingly chasing his first World Series title as a manager after previous stints with the Dodgers and Marlins and a 2025 pennant-winning season as Toronto's bench coach.
The Phillies' urgency has grown as a long-open window has narrowed from a 2022 World Series loss to playoff exits in the 2023 NLCS, 2024 and 2025 NLDS, and this year's Wild Card round.