Hot Seat Check for Yankees' Aaron Boone and Every MLB Manager
It's been a minute since the New York Mets completed a hat trick of 2026 manager firings by letting Carlos Mendoza go, but the wait for more won't be much longer. Thee season is almost over.
The question is: Where are the hot seats?
Just to make sure nary a stone is left unturned, we're going to perform a temperature check on every manager's respective seat. It's a complicated situation, so we broke the process into eight tiers of safety.
On one end, there are those who are "Not Going Anywhere." On the other, there are "Dead Men Walking."
Not Going Anywhere
1 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who are as safe as safe can be.
Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Remember the days when it felt like Roberts was perpetually this close to losing his job? Well, he's guided the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series wins and is closing in on a 10th NL East title in 11 seasons. He's also signed through 2029.
Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
Cash is a two-time AL Manager of the Year winner, and he has a strong case for a third amid a season in which the Rays have risen to the top of the American League. The Rays know how good he is, hence why he's signed through 2030.
Craig Counsell, Chicago Cubs
Counsell is signed through 2028, and the Cubs should already be considering extending the deal. Even at a rate of $8 million per year, he's worked wonders. Especially this year, as the Cubs are headed for the playoffs despite having one of the league's worst pitching staffs.
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers
Murphy had the unenviable task of inheriting the Brewers from Counsell. Three seasons later, his praises can't be sung loudly enough. He's had his teams playing smart, clean baseball from Day 1, and it's about to result in three straight NL Central titles. He's signed through 2028, with an option for 2029.
Stephen Vogt, Cleveland Guardians
Vogt signed some kind of extension before the 2025 season, though its terms remain unclear. Despite a pattern of diminishing returns since his debut in 2024, it's hard to imagine the Guardians showing him the door any time soon. He's one of the best at making the most of suboptimal rosters.
Impressive Work So Far
2 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who are making a name for themselves.
Will Venable, Chicago White Sox
In his second season on the job, Venable has the White Sox on track to pull off a worst-to-first campaign in the AL Central. He's done so despite being saddled with middling pitching, which speaks to how the club's offensive culture has changed for the better under his watch.
Walt Weiss, Atlanta Braves
There was a sense coming out of 2025 that things had gotten stale under Brian Snitker. Now here's Weiss, who has navigated a ton of pitching injuries and reinvigorated a lifeless offense to build the Braves back into the NL East leader. It's a pretty good return in the first year of a three-year contract.
Craig Stammen, San Diego Padres
Granted, that was an awkward moment that Stammen had with Walker Buehler this week. And yes, the team is underperforming relative to its last two seasons under Mike Shildt. Yet this hardly feels like Stammen's fault, as he has kept the Padres in contention despite shaky starting pitching and inconsistent offense.
They Deserve More Time
3 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who need more time to prove what they need to prove.
Skip Schumaker, Texas Rangers
Whatever the Rangers expected under Schumaker in 2026, it was probably something better than 72-75. Yet they hopefully recognize what they got him into, as he inherited a mishmash of old bones from the 2023 World Series team and a mixed bag of younger guys.
Sure, they were probably hoping he would get more out of the younger guys. But there's still time for that to happen, so it's a good thing he's signed through 2029.
Blake Butera, Washington Nationals
It still boggles the mind that Butera is only 34 years old, but he's looking like the right guy for a generally younger team. Best of all, it's been fun to see Nationals hitters show so much energy this year.
A slide has come in the form of a 19-32 record in the second half, but Butera doesn't figure to pay any price for that. This year only needed to be about making progress, and the team is on track for its best record since 2019.
Don Kelly, Pittsburgh Pirates
Speaking of teams that merely needed to be better in 2026, the Bucs have a shot at their first .500-or-better campaign since the 2018 season. Kelly can take a bow for that, even if Pirates fans still have every right to feel impatient.
His real test will come next season. Whether the team can maintain its improved offensive output from this year will be a key question. An even bigger one: Can Paul Skenes rebound, or will Kelly pay a price if the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner continues to unravel?
Derek Shelton, Minnesota Twins
After what happened in 2025, expectations for the 2026 Twins were basically subterranean. As such, you can view it as an accomplishment that Shelton has so much as lifted them from last place in the AL Central into third place.
Still, how much time has Shelton bought himself? He only had a .410 winning percentage in Pittsburgh, and his next winning season will be his first. Even if his job isn't in jeopardy now, he needs to prove he's more than a placeholder.
Not Doing Anything Wrong
4 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who haven't had good seasons under extenuating circumstances.
Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds
Francona is a future Hall of Famer, and he showed why in getting the Reds to the playoffs in 2025. Even if they only won 83 games and were knocked out of the Wild Card Series, they still went further than expected.
A downturn to 69-77 in 2026 makes for a disappointment, but is anyone really pinning that on Francona? He wasn't handed a better roster, and then injuries took a big toll. He's sure to be kept around for the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2027.
Oli Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals
Marmol could have been shown the door after leadership of the Cardinals passed from John Mozeliak to Chaim Bloom. That Bloom instead extended Marmol through 2028 was a surprise vote of confidence.
Even more surprising is that the Cardinals have a .490 winning percentage this year. It's not good, but it's better than they had any right to be after Bloom stripped the roster for parts last winter.
Clayton McCullough, Miami Marlins
McCullough led the Marlins to a 79-83 record in his first season in 2025, and they have a real chance of hitting that exact same mark this year. This isn't meant as a compliment, so much as a sort of fascinated remark.
The question is whether anything more than mediocrity is even possible for the teams McCullough has managed. It's frankly had to come down on the side of "yes," though the Marlins might disagree if the trend repeats itself in 2027.
Warren Schaeffer, Colorado Rockies
The Rockies had a .295 winning percentage under Schaeffer in 2025. They now have a .379 winning percentage under him in 2026. Progress!
The real pressure here is in Paul DePodesta to deliver the goods in reimagining the Rockies from the top down. That's going to take time, so Schaeffer just needs to hold a steady course for the time being.
Mark Kotsay, Athletics
Kotsay has the most thankless job in baseball. Here's a bad team that won't have a fanbase until the move to Las Vegas in 2028. Good luck. Have fun. Don't die.
In five years, he has yet to even come close to a winning season while racking up a .395 winning percentage. Yet he's signed through 2028 with a 2029 club option, and it probably won't be until those years that the A's get serious about whether he's the right guy.
What of Those Interim Tags?
5 of 8
In This Tier: Interim managers who are essentially auditioning.
Chad Tracy, Boston Red Sox
Tracy is in this tier by default, but it is honestly a wonder that the Red Sox haven't already removed his "interim" tag. He's guided the team to a 70-50 record and to the doorstep of the playoffs.
The Red Sox have a totally different vibe from when they fired Alex Cora in April and continued to struggle through June. They play clean, selfless baseball, and the stage is set for literally anybody to be the hero on any night. A manager can't cause that, but Tracy is clearly some sort of center of gravity in this case.
Don Mattingly, Philadelphia Phillies
Here's another example of how it can be a good thing to lose patience and fire a manager. Since taking over for Rob Thomson in April, Mattingly has led the Phillies to a 73-46 record that has them in position for yet another playoff run.
Mattingly is reportedly open to staying on as the Phillies' real-deal manager, which isn't surprising given that he's still never won a World Series ring as a player or a coach. He's certainly proven he won't take any guff from Bryce Harper, and that might not be a negative as far as Dave Dombrowski is concerned.
Andy Green, New York Mets
More so than Tracy or Mattingly, Green feels like a temporary fix as the Mets' manager. They can hire anyone they want with Steve Cohen's resources, and Green has spoken about not wanting to spend too much time away from his family.
All that said, Green has done a commendable job in reviving the Mets to the tune of a 34-31 record. If the Mets decide to make him an offer he can't refuse, perhaps he won't refuse it.
Pressure Is Mounting
6 of 8
Aaron Boone, New York Yankees
Boone has perhaps warded off some of the pressure that has been a constant for him in recent years. The Yankees survived three months without Aaron Judge, and might now be the favorites to represent the AL in the World Series.
All the same, he's in Year 9 of what has thus far been a championship-less run for the 27-time World Series champs. He's also only signed through 2027. Nothing less than a title will make Boone's seat cool again.
Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks
This is Lovullo's 10th year with the Diamondbacks, and you can argue it's featured more impressive work than even when he took the team to the World Series in 2023. The D-backs have had no pitching all year, yet they're in the playoff hunt at 78-69.
Lovullo is a lame duck, however, and you just wonder how complicit he is in all the Ketel Marte drama. From the outside looking in, it sure seems like he was willing to let his star get away with a lot, to the detriment of the other 25 guys on the roster.
Craig Albernaz, Baltimore Orioles
On the hot seat after just one year on the job? Shouldn't Albernaz be back on the slide for the guys who deserve more time? Arguably, yes.
Then again, there were high hopes for this Orioles team after an offseason refurbishment. That it has remained suspended in animationâand apparently lost the superstar version of Gunnar Hendersonâdoes not reflect well on Albernaz.
A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers
By leading the Tigers to the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, Hinch resuscitated his reputation as one of the game's top managers. The Tigers rewarded him accordingly, extending him through 2027 back in 2025.
However, there's something about this year's 67-79 record in conjunction with a +55 run differential that doesn't sit right. The Tigers can be fairly accused of having underachieved under Hinch this year, in which case there's an alternate scenario in which they still have Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize for a playoff run.
Matt Quatraro, Kansas City Royals
Quatraro signed an extension through 2029 earlier this year, so the Royals were clearly banking on him building on back-to-back winning seasons in 2024 and 2025. Instead, they've gotten a 65-82 record.
How much blame Quatraro deserves for this is a fair question, yet the reality is that he has produced a .457 winning percentage during four years of Bobby Witt Jr.'s prime. These are years that simply cannot be wasted.
The Walls May Be Closing In
7 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who have fumbled high expectations.
John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays
Schneider just led the Blue Jays to the World Series in 2025. On top of that, he signed an extension in March locking him down through 2028. Would Toronto really fire him after all this?
It'll be less likely if the Blue Jays actually pull off their attempt at a comeback in the AL playoff race. Even then, though, the organization might reason that a guy with a single 90-win season in four tries is not worth it. Not while they have resources to pursue better options, anyway.
Tony Vitello, San Francisco Giants
Vitello is only in the first year of a three-year contract that pays out $3.5 million per year. He also represents a grand experiment, as the Giants made him the first manager to be hired directly from the college ranks. Would they really pull the plug so soon?
It might be a reach, but it's a damning indictment of Vitello that the conversation is even necessary. Though he largely recovered from his weird mishaps earlier in the year, a 62-85 record is still a 62-85 record. His fate could also be tied to that of president of baseball operations Buster Posey, whose seat should also be hot.
Joe Espada, Houston Astros
The Astros have a really good chance of winning the AL West. And if they do, it'll be the second time in Espada's three years at the helm that they will have done so.
Yet even before Dana Brown effectively got sacked by Jim Crane, Espada's job didn't seem 100-percent safe. Even winning the AL West may not protect him, as Houston's 74-72 record only proves how bad the division has been this year.
Dead Men Walking
8 of 8
In This Tier: Managers who are basically doomed.
Dan Wilson, Seattle Mariners
As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said on "Foul Territory" on Thursday, he's "fairly confident" that the Mariners are going to move on from Wilson. Even though it was just last year that he took the M's to the ALCS, Seattle fans will be relieved to hear it.
Wilson's calm demeanor was what the Mariners needed in 2024 and 2025, but this year's 69-78 slog has revealed that chill vibes don't mean anything without a knowledge of Xs and Os or any urgency to hold players accountable. Frankly, he dug his own grave.
Kurt Suzuki, Los Angeles Angels
The Angels only gave Suzuki a one-year contract when they hired him, so they might as well have told him to go out and prove he belongs. A franchise-worst .384 winning percentage hasn't exactly done the job.
Oh, and then there's the fact that Suzuki was hired by Perry Minasian, who has since been fired. And the fact that the Angels are about to sell to Stan Kroenke. There will be many changes afoot beyond the manager's chair.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
.png?w=2560 "WILD Garrett x Puka Stat đ¤¯")
.jpg?w=2560 "Stribling Injured Ankle vs. Rams")
.png?w=2560 "McVay's Quote on Loss âšī¸")
