Rob Thomson has a new right-hand man.
The Phillies announced Monday that they have hired Don Mattingly as their bench coach.
While the club did not announce the length of Mattingly’s contract, he indicated during his introductory press conference that he views the role as more than a short-term stop.
“I’ve committed to a couple of years with [Thomson] and we’ll go from there,” Mattingly said. “I’m assuming that would be it for me.”
The move comes after Philadelphia reshaped its coaching staff shortly after the season, shifting former bench coach Mike Calitri into a newly created field coordinator role. This opening allowed the club to pursue a veteran presence with extensive managerial experience — something the front office openly prioritized.
“Managers use bench coaches in different fashions during a game,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said during the end-of-season press conference. “I think it would be ideal to have somebody that has had some managerial experience.”
Mattingly, 64, fits that description cleanly.
He brings more than a decade of experience as a Major League manager, leading the Dodgers from 2010–15 and the Marlins from 2016–22. Across 13 seasons, Mattingly managed 1,827 games and was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2020. He then joined the Blue Jays as bench coach ahead of the 2023 season, spending the past three years in Toronto.
In Philadelphia, Mattingly’s role will center on supporting Rob Thomson during games — a responsibility he described as “being another set of eyes and ears,” helping stay ahead of situations and easing the decision-making load as games move quickly.
“It gets busy and fast,” Mattingly said. “You might be thinking about your pitching, then you’ve got a pinch-hit situation. All those things come fast. My job is to stay ahead a little bit and help lighten the load.”
It’s a reunion in several ways.
Thomson, Mattingly and Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long all overlapped in the Yankees organization. Thomson joined New York’s Major League staff as field coordinator in 2007. Mattingly served as the Yankees’ bench coach that season, while Long was in his first year as the club’s hitting coach.
“There’s a lot of familiarity there,” Thomson said, noting Mattingly’s attention to detail and communication style. “He’s been there. He’s done it. That matters — especially for our players.”
Now, Mattingly also joins an organization led in part by his son, Preston, the Phillies’ general manager — a dynamic Mattingly acknowledged required thought before accepting the role.
“I was concerned about it right away,” Mattingly said, explaining that maintaining trust inside the clubhouse was essential. “Players need to trust that I’m not a voice that’s just running upstairs talking about everything. That’s not how I operate.”
Beyond the dugout, Mattingly’s playing resumé stands on its own. The 1985 American League MVP spent all 14 of his Major League seasons with the Yankees, compiling 2,153 hits, 222 home runs and a .307 career average. He was a six-time All-Star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner.
Despite 43 years in Major League Baseball as a player and coach, Mattingly has yet to win a World Series. The Phillies — who have reached the postseason four straight seasons without a championship — will see if that changes with “Donnie Baseball” now on staff.
Don Mattingly met with the media Monday. You can watch the full availability below: