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ANAHEIM, Calif. \u2014 Embattled New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that he received a vote of confidence, and an assurance from president of baseball operations David Stearns that his job was, at least for now, safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI talked to David this morning. We got on the phone and we talked,\u201d Mendoza said, adding that he preferred to keep the details of the conversation private. \u201cI understand the situation. We all understand the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to have that conversation with him. But at the end of the day, we have a job and we have a responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Mets have lost 17 of 20 games entering a nine-game, three-city road trip that begins on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. The club is coming off a 3-6 homestand, in which they were swept by the Colorado Rockies and lost a series to the Washington Nationals.<\/p>\n
New York entered Friday with the worst OPS in baseball and the second-fewest runs scored. During this 20-game stretch, they\u2019ve averaged just 2.65 runs per game.<\/p>\n
Mendoza, who is in the final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, has faced questions about his job security. He\u2019s mostly eschewed the queries, while acknowledging the team\u2019s poor play. While the club has stuck by the third-year skipper, it wasn\u2019t until Friday morning that the support became more formalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t view this as a manager problem, and we don\u2019t intend to make a change,\u201d Stearns told MLB.com on Friday.<\/p>\n
Asked about Stearns\u2019 comments, Mendoza didn\u2019t deflect from his own responsibility for the Mets\u2019 catastrophic three weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all in this together,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cThere\u2019s not one specific area. We lose together, we win together. And that\u2019s how we will continue to do this. But I\u2019m not going to sit here and say, \u2018Well, this is the reason why.\u2019 We\u2019re all responsible, and it starts with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Mets have one of the highest payrolls in baseball history, with a roster earning a projected total of $369 million, per FanGraphs. There\u2019s pressure on the team to return to the playoffs after fumbling a 45-24 start to the 2025 season, only to miss out on the postseason entirely.<\/p>\n
Mendoza is hoping for something of an inverse performance in 2026. And at the very least, he\u2019ll get a chance to lead this club in that effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a professional clubhouse,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of guys who are established in this league. They know this situation. They know where we\u2019re at as a team. \u2026\u00a0We know there are high expectations, and when you\u2019re not playing the way that you\u2019re capable of, or you\u2019re not meeting those expectations, situations like this will come up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n