Phillies hire Don Mattingly as next bench coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Don Mattingly is meeting with the media 11:30 a.m. Monday. You can watch here:
Rob Thomson has a new right-hand man.
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The Phillies announced Monday that they have hired Don Mattingly as their bench coach.
The move comes after Philadelphia reshaped its coaching staff shortly after the season, shifting former bench coach Mike Calitri into a newly created field coordinator role. The opening allowed the club to pursue a veteran presence with extensive managerial experience — something the front office openly prioritized.
Mattingly, 64, brings more than a decade of experience as a Major League manager. He led the Dodgers from 2010–15 and the Marlins from 2016–22, managing 1,827 games across 13 seasons. The 2020 Manager of the Year then joined the Blue Jays as bench coach ahead of the 2023 season, where he spent the past three years.
It’s a reunion in many ways.
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Thomson, Mattingly and Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long all overlapped in the Yankees organization. Thomson joined New York’s Major League staff as field coordinator in 2007. Mattingly served as the Yankees’ bench coach that season, while Long was in his first year as the club’s hitting coach.
Now, Mattingly teams up with his son, Preston, the Phillies’ general manager.
During the Phillies’ end-of-season press conference, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear what the club was seeking in the role.
“Managers use bench coaches in different fashions during a game,” Dombrowski said. “I think it would be ideal to have somebody that has had some managerial experience.”
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Mattingly fits that description cleanly.
Beyond the dugout, his playing resumé stands on its own. The 1985 American League MVP spent all 14 of his Major League seasons with the Yankees, compiling 2,153 hits, 222 home runs and a .307 career average. He was a six-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove award winner and remains one of the most respected figures of his era.
Despite 43 years in Major League Baseball as a player and coach, Mattingly has yet to win a World Series. The Phillies — who have reached the postseason four straight years without a championship — will look to see if that changes with “Donnie Baseball” now on the staff.
