John Schneider’s bench in Toronto will look a little different in 2026. Don Mattingly is leaving the team following the expiration of his contract.
The 64-year-old Mattingly served as a bench coach and offensive coordinator with Toronto after being hired ahead of the 2023 MLB season. He was part of the staff as the Blue Jays reached the World Series this fall — a first for Mattingly in his career — before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Speaking to MLB.com during an event Thursday at the MLB store in New York City, Mattingly said he felt that 2025 was going to be his final year in Toronto.
“[W]hen I went to Toronto, when [general manager] Ross [Atkins] called me, I was thrilled. I had a great time there,” Mattingly said. “The organization’s been tremendous. The fans there are tremendous. It’s been a great run. But I thought before the year started, that I felt like this was kind of the end with Toronto, and really nothing more than that. Just felt like it was the right time.”
Mattingly’s exit from Toronto comes at a time when there is one managerial opening remaining in the league — in Colorado. The longtime Yankees first baseman has more than a decade of experience as a manager after guiding the Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 and the Miami Marlins from 2016 to 2022. He helped the Dodgers win three straight NL West titles and led the Marlins to the playoffs in 2020, ending a 17-year drought, which resulted in his winning NL Manager of the Year that season.
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Prior to his time as a manager, Mattingly served as a bench coach with the Yankees from 2004 to 2006 before joining Joe Torre with the Dodgers during the 2008 season.
There will be a large section of Yankees fans hoping Mattingly will come home to Bronx and be part of Aaron Boone’s staff next season. “Donnie Baseball” spent his entire 13-year playing career in pinstripes. He was a six-time All-Star and won nine Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards, as well as the 1985 AL MVP.
The Blue Jays picked up Schneider’s option for next season but might not fill the open role left by Mattingly’s departure, according to Atkins.
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“We’ll just try to get better,” Atkins said. “No proactive subtractions or significant changes in roles, but we’ll try to get better in any way that we can.”
