Don Mattingly will return as the Marlins’ manager in 2022. General manager Kim Ng announced on today’s broadcast that Mattingly’s mutual option for the 2022 campaign has been picked up by both parties (Twitter link, with video, via Bally Sports Florida).
“Donnie’s been steady at the helm,” Ng said when asked about the job Mattingly has done. “I think that’s one of his greatest attributes. He’s incredibly patient. I think he’s got a great way with the young players. He’s very positive with them.”
The 2022 season will be Mattingly’s seventh as the Marlins’ manager. He joined the Fish in 2016 on the heels of a five-year run as the Dodgers’ skipper and has since managed the team to a 345-446 record. Of course, the manager of a club that has gone through yet another broad-reaching fire sale, turned over its front office and gone through an ownership change can’t be judged solely on wins and losses. Mattingly has stuck with the club through all of those sweeping changes, convincing multiple front offices and ownership groups alike that he’s the right person to be leading an up-and-coming Marlins club.
Mattingly’s Marlins made a surprise postseason bid last year in the expanded format and did so in spite of a Covid outbreak that gutted the roster and left him with a host of replacement players for several weeks. That unexpected playoff berth contributed to Mattingly’s first NL Manager of the Year win. His club toppled the NL Central champion Cubs in the Wild Card round of play before falling to the Braves in the NLDS.
The 2021 season hasn’t gone exactly according to plan for the Marlins, who’ve fallen into a prolonged stretch of losses and dropped to 38-47 in the standings. The loss of touted young right-hander Sixto Sanchez due to shoulder surgery has been a particularly tough hit for Miami, and they’ve also been without third baseman Brian Anderson and promising righty Elieser Hernandez for much of the 2021 campaign as well.
Still, there are some important pieces in place for the franchise moving forward. Jazz Chisholm is enjoying a nice season in the middle infield, and the Marlins’ rotation has the makings of an impressive group, headlined by Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and 2021 Rookie of the Year candidate Trevor Rogers. Miami has several interesting prospects just breaking into the Majors or on the cusp of doing so, including outfielders Jesus Sanchez and JJ Bleday. Last year’s first-round pick, righty Max Meyer, has utterly dominated the Double-A level and could be a quick-to-the-Majors arm.
Mattingly will get the chance to work with that upcoming wave of talent, and if all goes according to plan next season, it wouldn’t at all be a surprise to see Ng, principal owner Bruce Sherman and CEO Derek Jeter extend Mattingly beyond the 2022 campaign.
Good news.
Mattingly is the longest tenured Manager in Marlins history. It would be nice to see him get a chance at another postseason with the Fish
Lol not going to happen anytime soon.
Couple bats and they can win the NL AAA East division.
Well the Mets are in first playing with their AAA roster most of the year so I’m sure they’ll do fine in the other divisions….
Just wait and see if DeGrom opts out
He can’t opt out for another two years after this one ends….
His opt out is for after 2022. If ownership doesn’t prove to be building a true winning team I don’t expect him to stay for 30.5 m when he could make 35
He loves being a met. He’ll stay regardless. But I doubt the Mets disappoint him. They’ll probably make the playoffs every year till 2022 with this group of young players.
Young players? On the Mets? I see a bunch of guys in their primes…at various points.
And I always love the “he loves being a Met” thing. It usually doesn’t go well.
Nimmo conforto lindor syndergard Dom Davis McNeil Diaz lugo syndergard magill Peterson Alonso??? Core is not old. We’ll be kicking the crap out of you guys for while. Lol
Oh, so now they’re “not old”. That’s far different than “young”.
Little FYI.
Brian Anderson > JD Davis (it’s not even close)
Until Syndergaard comes and proves otherwise, Rogers, Alcantara and Lopez are better…period. And we still have Sixto who is far more talented.
Conforto is not likely to return unless you overpay.
Nimmo sucks…period
Diaz is almost as implosive as Yimi Garcia
David Peterson wouldn’t be a SP for us when all of our guys are healthy.
McNeil has to show that he can adjust back to the league adjusting to him.
Dom has yet to show something in a full 162-game season.
Alonso still needs to show he’s not just another Dave Kingman/Ron Kittle type.
Megill? Really? You’re bragging about a guy after 3 MLB games in his age-25 season?
As for Lindior, pray that contract works out. It ain’t looking good so far…in year 1.
And final FYI…Marlins have young talent. The Mets do not. But what do I expect from the same fan base that called Aaron Heilman a prospect into his age-29 season.
Oh and the real final bit…hope your Mets do better against the Marlins because they haven’t looked good head-to-head this year…even when they were healthy.
The Marlins are 3-2 against the Mets and 16-14 against the division this season.
That was actually painful to read, do you actually believe all that crap ? Hahahaha change your name to delusionalmarlinsfan.
You can’t judge prospects by their age. DeGrom, Donaldson, Urshela, Voit, Bautista, David Ortiz, and Jorge Posada all come to mind as players that were never thought of as amounting to much until they broke out in their mid to late 20’s. I can think of several players like Mark Appel, Brady Aiken, and Tim Beckham who were all taken #1 overall and never amounted to much. It’s another thing that makes baseball the best sport. A pitcher with an average arm who only throws about 90mph can study his opponents weaknesses, develop pinpoint control and become one of the greatest of all time (Greg Maddux).
Mets fans always delusional
Anderson is better overall but Davis is better hitter and that’s not a debate…
They are probably all better than syndergard but our rotation is better…. And syndergard could out pitch them too. It’s not lopsided.
Conforto might not return but it will be bc of us not bc he didn’t want too. We would replace him easily. (I hope we keep him)
Diaz has a 2.97 era and has done great in save spots…..
David perterson also wouldn’t start fo us fully healthy lol what’s your point.
McNeil hasn’t been adjusted too lol…. He will hit 280-300 this year. With ops over 800
Dom will be fine. Marlins wish they had him.
Alonso would be your best hitter.
Magill has good stuff…. It’s not just about 3 starts.
Lindor looks great! I love having him on the team!
FYI the Mets have talent! The marlins have young players…
Lol 3-2….. 5 games……: about to be 3-5 next time we play….
Please come back to the Bronx.
But did he trim his sideburns, per Mr. Burns
I’m always screaming that out at games and no one gets it. Very disappointing.
Ha same here, one of my fave lines ever.
He already got rid of his signature pornstache. Let the man keep his sideburns and mullet.
THATS IT!! He’s off the team FOR GOOD!!!!!!
Very good Manager, lots of respect for him. He has not been given much but you can tell he has the respect and connection with the players.
Watched Rogers the other day he is a stud in the making just getting better and better. Early pitching picks are risky but you hit on one of those guys you might get an ace. They did.
Fish have 2 other studs along with Rogers and are loaded with more in the pipeline
Rogers is indeed a stud and his breakout season this year has been recognized with an All-Star game berth.
Alcantara – 2019 All Star & pitching great this year
Pablo – Solid #2-3 pitcher also pitching great this year.
Sixto should be recovered and ready for next year. Neidert, Edwards, Braxton and Meyers should be Sept call ups this year, some if not earlier.
Plus some .of the ’20 draft choices that should be ready by 2023, 2024. Fo ex: Fulton, Nicolas, McCambley
FIsh. Are. Loaded. With. Pitching. They just need some of the bats to further develop or acquire bats via trade/FA’gy and bring in more BP help and this team is contending for years. This offseason is crucial and huge test to see if this regime is different than the previous failed ownerships.
Time is now.
Jake Eder is the best pitcher in AA right now. He was looked at as a top 10 pick before he needed surgery. Marlins stole him and he’s paying off. Doubt he gets a call up but he’s definitely someone to consider as well.
It looks like that pitching will have to buy a bat. There’s plenty of offensive “potential” but no one is close to a sure thing. Losing the minor league season last year killed Bleday, Burdick, Mister and more. Conine has been doing well but he’s older and still in AA. Bleday hasn’t done a thing in his minor league time. Burdick has stretches. It’s looking like some pitching will have to go to get a serious bat. Or they will have to open up the checkbook. And we know how that goes, we have to see it to believe it.
I agree Luda. Its crazy that none of our bats outside of Sanchez/Chisolm both coming to the Fish by trade have not really developed.
It would be a huge disappointed if Bleday and Misner turn out as bust. Scott is another one, although still very young as he was drafted out of HS, that could blossom but has yet to do so.
Let’s not go to sleep on Lewin Diaz just yet. In fact, I feel the Marlins should move either Aguilar or Cooper to take a look at Lewin the rest of the way so we know whether or not to get in on someone like Rizzo.
Same thing with Duvall so we can clear the way for Bleday and others the rest of the year.
Marlins need two run producing bats and legit closer and set-up guy. That’s where we’re at.
Shame, the Tigers and Hinch are looking for a 3B coach. lol
Well deserved.
Perfect guy for the situation the Fish are in. And what he did LAST season, with their particular COVID nightmare, was truly exceptional. The Jeter-Ng-Donnie Baseball is a solid troika.
Not a Yankee fan but great admiration for Donnie’s 1984 – 1987 span. I wish him the best!
Good choice & good luck to Donnie Baseball. Class act that I’ve watched since he was a rookie in NY.
Good for Donny but would love to see him back in the Yankees organization
Mr Mediocre! Unbelievable!
Did the Phillies get the wrong Yankee?
Haven’t they also gone through like five uniform changes during his tenure as well?
Question is why would they? OMG are they CHEAP
He’s unquestionably been a terrible manager. But to be fair, he’s doing what needs to be done…. Ride this train wreck of a team through the storms until their “rebuild” is complete and they can put a decent manager head of the organization. Which he deserves some respect for that because the Marlins have been rebuilding for forever now. And even last years postseason run, that was complete bull. It took special covid rules to get into the postseason smh…
“Bravesfan”, any bias?
I have never been much of a fan of Mattingly as a manager. The Yankees passed on him after Torre groomed him as his successor. He was handed one of the most talented teams when he took over the Dodgers. When the Dodgers let him walk they immediately become perennial World Series contenders. He was given a talented Marlins team in 2016 and couldn’t even break .500 against a pretty top heavy NL. Don’t get me wrong he was one of my favorite players during his playing days. I just don’t think highly of him as a manager.
I think that has more to do with Dodgers ownership doing what they could to improve the team. DM went through a lot in his tenure as the Dodgers skipper. From the McCourts and all the way through and after the team was sold. He had some good, but very flawed Dodgers teams. There were a lot of frustrated Dodgers with the McCourt drama, and the World Series drought. And I think a lot of times, unfairly, Mattingly was the scapegoat. I love Dave Roberts. Always have. He was a feel good story when he played here, and he’s the same as a manager. Roberts has had far better, and better balanced teams than Mattingly ever did.
Totally agree with this take. Donnie Baseball is a good manager.
And Roberts is a terrible manager