Mets' Carlos Mendoza might already be on hot seat on Opening Day

The New York Mets, coming into the 2026 MLB season, have a ton of hope for a World Series run. After an aggressive offseason, this roster is in great shape.

Freddy Peralta, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and many others have helped turn this team into a legitimate contender. But, they still have to play the games, and similar to last year's team, there is no guarantee they make the postseason.

Such a future would be bad news for Carlos Mendoza, as Dayn Perry of CBS Sports identified Mendoza as a manager already on the hot seat in 2026, before the season had even begun.

Carlos Mendoza might already be on Mets' hot seat

"Mendoza is probably the manager most at risk going into the 2026 season," Perry writes. "His contract includes an option for 2027, which means it's not guaranteed beyond the upcoming season."

While the Mets made a ton of roster moves this offseason to build a contender, they cannot have what happened in 2025 happen this season.

Last year, despite being in a good spot to make the postseason, a late collapse, with a 21-32 record from August 1 through the end of the year, was what spelled the Mets' doom.

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Mendoza was on the hot seat last year due to that collapse, and if he were fired after such a season, it wouldn't have been a surprise. But he stayed on and is getting one more chance.

That's why, despite the 2026 season not even beginning, the Meta manager is already on the hot seat. He is far from in a safe spot this upcoming season, and any prolonged stretch of poor play will bring about questions about his status as the team's manager.

He has a great roster at his disposal, and there shouldn't be any doubts that this team won't be a postseason contender. But if things go south, it would hardly be a surprise if Mendoza is relieved of his duties.

There are other managers on the hot seat, including Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, but none might be in as precarious a spot as Mendoza.

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