Phillies Announce Don Mattingly as Bench Coach for 2026 Season
Don Mattingly has been officially named as the Phillies bench coach for the upcoming 2026 season. Despite a slight delay in finalizing the hire, Mattingly, aged 64, emerged as the top candidate for the position as early as November. The Phillies' focus on bringing Mattingly on board was evident when Dave Dombrowski mentioned their intention to hire him during the winter meetings. Mattingly, a legendary figure in baseball, previously served as the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays for the past three seasons. He also has managerial experience with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 and the Miami Marlins from 2016 to 2022. His next career move will see him join the Philadelphia Phillies, where he will be working alongside his son Preston, who holds the position of general manager for the team.
In a recent announcement made by Dave Dombrowski in October, the Phillies coaching staff underwent a reshuffle. Mike Calitri, who had been the team's bench coach since Rob Thomson's promotion to manager in 2022, was reassigned to the newly established major league field coordinator role. The rest of the coaching staff from the 2025 season was retained for the upcoming 2026 season. Additionally, Dustin Lind, the assistant hitting coach, left to take on the lead hitting coach position with the Orioles. To fill the vacancy left by Lind, the Phillies promoted Edwar Gonzalez from the minor league director of hitting development to the assistant hitting coach for the major league team.
Mattingly and Thomson are scheduled to hold a press conference over Zoom later today to address the media about their roles with the Phillies for the upcoming season. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name *Email *Website.
In conclusion, the Philadelphia Phillies have made significant changes to their coaching staff for the 2026 season, with the addition of Don Mattingly as the bench coach and the promotion of Edwar Gonzalez to assistant hitting coach. These moves reflect the team's commitment to enhancing their coaching lineup and preparing for a successful season ahead.