Mets fire Carlos Mendoza after 34-47 start, Andy Green takes over

The Mets fired Carlos Mendoza on Friday and handed the dugout to Andy Green after a 34-47 start that left New York 15 games behind Atlanta and 9 1/2 games out of the National League’s final wild-card spot. The move came after a six-game losing streak and a four-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs that pushed the club to a season-worst 13 games under .500.

The dismissal capped a sharp collapse for a team that entered 2026 with one of baseball’s highest payrolls and championship expectations. ESPN said the Mets had carried the second-highest payroll in Major League Baseball and, at one point in the spring, owned the worst record in the majors. Injuries to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor in April deepened the early damage, and the offense spent much of the season near the bottom of the league in key categories.

The timing also underscored how quickly the organization’s posture changed. On May 1, president of baseball operations David Stearns said the Mets did not intend to make a managerial change and that Mendoza would remain in place despite the rough opening. Mendoza had already been kept on for 2026 after the team’s 2025 collapse, making Friday’s decision a reversal of a plan the front office had publicly defended for nearly two months.

Owner Steve Cohen said after the firing that the organization and its fans deserved better, while Mendoza thanked the Mets organization and fans in a statement following his dismissal. Green, a former Padres manager who had been working with the Mets in a player development role, will manage the club for the rest of the season.

The change arrived with the standings already leaving little room for a turnaround. New York trailed Atlanta by 15 games and was 9 1/2 games behind the last National League wild-card berth, a gap that made the firing as much a verdict on the season’s structure as on one manager’s line. The Mets also lost 2-1 to the Phillies in Green’s first game in charge, extending the skid to seven games.

The night carried an odd visual counterpoint to the grim baseball math. Mr. Met, dressed for Pride Night, danced behind SNY reporter Steve Gelbs as he discussed the firing on air, a jarring scene beside a franchise trying to reset its public face while its season kept sliding.