Carlos Mendoza’s Mets Firing Was Brutal. His Statement Made the Timing Worse.

Carlos Mendoza is out as Mets manager. The team made it official Friday, and the timing of it all is part of why this one stings a little more than your average midseason firing.

Here’s the thing — the Mets are 34-47, dead last in the NL East, and nobody is pretending this season has gone according to plan. But Mendoza wasn’t just some scapegoat. He was the guy who took this team to the postseason in his first year. That 2024 run, where they won 89 games and actually made some noise in October? That was him. And last year, even with injuries piling up, they won 83. Not great, but not a disaster either. This year just fell apart.

Mendoza released a statement through Joel Sherman of the New York Post, and honestly, it read like a guy who knew the writing was on the wall but still wanted to take the high road. He thanked Steve and Alex Cohen. He thanked David Stearns. He thanked the coaches and players. He specifically mentioned that 2024 playoff run and called it something he’ll never forget.

Here’s part of what he said: “Thank you to everyone throughout the Mets organization, especially our coaches, staff, and players. The relationships we built and the memories we created will stay with me forever. I will never forget our special postseason run in 2024 and the resilience, commitment, and passion that group showed every day.”

That’s a classy move, but it also kind of underlines the awkwardness of the situation. The guy was fired two weeks before the All-Star break. The roster Cohen and Stearns built had real holes, the pitching staff was banged up, and Mendoza was left trying to win with a rotation that at times featured guys who probably shouldn’t have been starting games at this level. It’s not like he forgot how to manage overnight.

But the front office clearly felt something had to change. Maybe they’re hoping a new voice can jumpstart a team that still has some talent. Maybe they’re protecting their own jobs. Either way, Mendoza takes the fall.

It’s worth noting that Mendoza didn’t go quietly into some bitter spiral. He shouted out the Mets fans too. That’s a nice touch, considering those same fans have spent the last week debating whether he deserved to go or if he was set up to fail.

One thing that’s pretty clear — Mendoza will get another shot somewhere. He’s 45, he’s got a postseason appearance on his resume, and players around the league seem to genuinely like him. The Mets were a mess this year, but a lot of that wasn’t his doing. Some other team is going to see that and give him a chance to prove 2024 was the real Carlos Mendoza, not the guy who got stuck with a broken roster in 2026.

For now, the Mets have to figure out who’s next. And Mendoza has to wait for the phone to ring. It probably will.