Could a former Blue Jays Manager be the man in charge of the Mets after 2025 season?

For 11 seasons, John Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Gibbons served two tenures as Blue Jays manager from 2004-2008, then again from 2013-2018. Gibbons became a fan favorite in Toronto by guiding the Blue Jays to the ALCS in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016, and also for some of his classic ejections as skipper. Today, Gibbons is a bench coach on the New York Mets.

Gibbons was hired in December 2023 to be the bench coach and with the position the Mets are in, it could be possible that the former Blue Jays manager could potentially become the manager of the Mets in 2026.

Why Gibson could become option for Mets manager in 2026

There's no denying that the Mets' second half in 2025 has been rough. The Mets were once 62-44 at one point in late-July. Now, the Mets are fighting for the third Wild Card spot in the National League to avoid a collapse. The Mets have seen cold stretches over the course of the second half to fall down in the standings, and have blown the NL East Division lead to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The current manager of the Mets is Carlos Mendoza. In 2024, Mendoza guided the Mets to the NLCS in his first season as the team's manager. However, the conclusion of the 2025 season could be a deciding factor on whether Mendoza sticks around or not. If the Mets collapse and miss the postseason, Mendoza's job security could be shrinking by the day.

Although 2025 is only Mendoza's second season as manager, the Mets' trend of firing managers after two seasons has become normal it seems. Mickey Callaway, Luis Rojas and Buck Showalter were the three managers before Mendoza, and all three of them were fired after two seasons. Even after Showalter guided the Mets to the 2022 postseason with a 101-win season, he was fired after the team failed to make the 2023 postseason.

If 2025 ends with the Mets missing the postseason, it could open the door for Gibbons to become a manager again for the third time in his career if Mendoza gets let go by the organization.

At 61 years old, Gibbons has a solid resume to bring to the table. Gibbons recorded a 793-789 record (.501 winning percentage) during his managing career in Toronto. Prior to that, Gibbons played two seasons with the Mets in 1984 and 1986.