A late-season collapse kept the New York Mets from the playoffs last year. In the final year of his managerial contract, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza would have hoped his team could turn things around and advance deep into the postseason in 2026. The Mets entered the season with a revamped roster after an aggressive offseason, but that has yielded no results as they are at the bottom of the NL East. With the Mets currently on a five-game losing streak, analysts have already started discussing potential candidates to replace Mendoza.
The 46-year-old is on the hot seat as the Athletics swept the Mets in their home ground at Citi Field. Following the series sweep, WFAN host Evan Roberts proposed a replacement for Mendoza at the Mets camp in the near future. Roberts put forward former Yankee Joe Girardi as a potential candidate for the Mets’ manager’s spot. WFAN posted a video of the podcast on X.
“I think Mets fans would like it; I think Tiki Barber would like it— Joe Girardi,” suggested Evan Roberts on WFAN. “And you know he wants to manage. Let’s be serious, you know he wants to manage.”
Joe Girardi is a former catcher who played for the New York Yankees dynasty teams. In his Yankees tenure, Girardi won the World Series three times: 1996, 1998, and 1999. After his retirement, the former Yankee spent his time managing multiple MLB teams since 2006.
The Yankees’ last World Series win in 2009 also came under Girardi’s coaching. He was on the team from 2008 to 2017, and after that, he moved on to coach the Philadelphia Phillies. After losing 12 of their 17 games, the Phillies fired Girardi from his managerial role in 2022.
The hosts at WFAN predicted, “The Phillies did to Joe what the Mets are going to do with Mendoza.”
@EvanRobertsWFAN With Carlos Mendoza on the hot seat, Evan Roberts has an idea of a potential replacement if the Mets make a change at Manager! pic.twitter.com/mrbvFufRQ9
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) April 13, 2026
Last year, the Mets were potential playoff contenders until things started going wrong in August. They went down with a 21-32 record from August to the season’s end. It would not have been surprising if Mendoza’s tenure ended last season, but David Stearns opted to trust Mendoza in one more season.
This year, Mendoza is under even more pressure to deliver results. The manager has an almost $400 million payroll with players like Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta at his disposal. Though Juan Soto is on the IL, he is also a part of the Mets’ lineup. Yet a revamped roster did not put an end to the Mets’ struggles.
The Mets are hitting with an average of .236 as a team, ranking 13th, according to MLB.com. Though Luis Robert Jr. has been successful with a .319 batting average, other Mets sluggers are in significant trouble. In Soto’s absence, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor were expected to lead the offense. Bichette is hitting at .235 after his .311 average last season. Lindor’s bat has also been ineffective, as he is hitting at .188. As a starter, Kodai Senga has also not delivered his best. He posted a 7.07 ERA in 3 starts this season.
Despite a revamped roster, the Mets already have 9 losses this season, pushing discussions about Mendoza’s replacement.
Following the series sweep, Mendoza spoke to the reporters about the recent loss.
Mendoza reacts after a series sweep
After the disappointing loss against the Athletics, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke to the media about the team’s performance.
“Tough homestand, overall, offensively,” reportedly remarked Mendoza. “You come back from that road trip, feeling good about the way you’re swinging the bat. You win the first game here, and then you just have a hard time scoring from there.”
Since winning the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3, the Mets have lost the next five games. Their record in these matches has been 2, 1, 0, 6, and 0 runs, respectively.
They are looking to snap the five-game losing streak during their upcoming series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Winning against the reigning World Series champions should help Mendonza get some momentum in his role.
