Diamondbacks Reveal 2026 Manager Plans

Lovullo will manage his 10th season in Arizona, with a career record of 664-690 (.490) as manager. In the last three seasons, Lovullo's teams have gone 253-233 (a .520 winning percentage.

Manager Torey Lovullo Will Return to Diamondbacks

As with any major league manager, Lovullo has to bear the full force of scrutiny and criticism, both from fans and outsiders and those inside the organization.

It was reported on Sunday by Arizona Sports 98.7's John Gambadoro that owner and managing partner Ken Kendrick had expressed extreme disappointment in the 2025 D-backs — understandably so.

According to Gambadoro, Kendrick said it was the most disappointed he'd been for the outcome of a season, given the high expectations heaped upon Arizona before the year began.

At that time, Lovullo expressed some uncertainty about his future with the team. Lovullo told reporters ahead of the game on Sunday that no one had spoken to him about whether or not he would be back in 2026.

"Well shoot, there's always doubt, right? This is a cutthroat industry," Lovullo said.

"I take the mindset that I want to impress Mr. Kendrick and Derrick Hall and my bosses every single day. That's my main goal. I do have a contract for next year, but who knows? Anything is possible. We'll see what happens."

Clearly, the D-backs are not satisfied with the result of 2025 — sitting at home watching the playoffs from afar for the second straight season.

Just how much of that lies on Lovullo's shoulders is unknown, though it might be less than fans might expect. Lovullo discussed in lengthy detail the fact that many of the decisions traditionally made autonomously by baseball managers in the past are no longer solely his call.

"When it comes to personnel things, when it comes to the finer working dynamics inside of rotations and lineups, yes I have a seat at the table, but they're open discussions," Lovullo said

It's important to remember that whether or not Lovullo's in-game decisions or pitching moves pan out every time (or even the majority of the time) is not how his job is evaluated by the people who make the decisions.

Do the players play hard for their manager? Is the clubhouse culture positive? Regardless of one's feeling on the job done by Lovullo, those two factors are undeniable.

"I feel he did a great job," said shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. "Even if he got a really good team in the beginning and they, for some reason, made a lot of changes, I feel like he handled it really well.

Related Content: Geraldo Perdomo Gave Honest Assessment of Manager Torey Lovullo

"At the end of the day, it's not about him, it's about the players. If we don't perform how we're supposed to perform, nothing is going to be the way they want."

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