BREAKING: Mike Shildt retires, out as Padres manager
Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
In a stunning turn of events, San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt is retiring.
Per the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, Padres manager Mike Shildt is retiring.
Mike Shildt retires as Padres managerhttps://t.co/WWhsNqHeoi
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) October 13, 2025
This is less than two weeks after the Chicago Cubs eliminated the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.
Shildt became manager of the Padres ahead of the 2024 season after the organization parted ways with Bob Melvin. He had worked in the organization in various roles since 2022, including in a player development role and eventually as the Padres’ interim third base coach after Matt Williams had hip surgery during spring training.
It was a no-brainer hire for the Padres after Melvin. Shildt came in with an impressive resume, including winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year award with the Cardinals. After his first season in St. Louis in 2018, every team he managed from 2019 to 2021 with the Cardinals and from 2024 to 2025 with the Padres made the postseason.
In two full seasons with the Padres, he finished with a 183-141 record (.565). He retires as the current all-time franchise leader in winning percentage as manager.
Under Shildt, the Padres made back-to-back postseasons for the first time since 2005-2006. The Padres won the Wild Card Series over the Atlanta Braves in 2024 and had the Dodgers on the brink in the NLDS, up two games to one. Unfortunately, the offense went through a historic slump, and their season ended there.
This past season, they once again made the playoffs and played in the Wild Card Series. They split the first two games against the Cubs, but then the offense went ice cold again, dropping Game 3 and being eliminated.
Certainly, as any manager for any team, some of Shildt’s moves and philosophies did not sit well with fans. He is refusing to put Ryan O’Hearn in the lineup early on after the trade deadline. The stubbornness with a struggling Luis Arraez, who had his worst season of his MLB career. The overuse of the bullpen. The small-ball approach with bunting, even with the Padres touting several big power hitters.
Despite all that, Shildt was a solid manager. He guided the team to their first set of back-to-back 90-plus win seasons in franchise history. The team clearly enjoyed playing for him. He fiercely defended his players at every turn. Refusing to throw any player under the bus or at times, even acknowledge their struggles, showed his loyalty. But also, that was another point of frustration with fans.
Shildt penned a letter to the franchise and fans in the announcement. He stated that “the grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
Now, the Padres once again will search for another manager. Whoever it is will become the sixth full-time manager under A.J. Preller’s regime in San Diego.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.