Don Mattingly family tree: Meet MLB GM son Preston, wife Lori, more on Phillies manager's roots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As a baseball lifer, Don Mattingly has been a major figure in MLB for decades.
First breaking through as an All-Star first baseman with the Yankees in the 1980s, "Donnie Baseball" established himself as one of his generation's best pure hitters, winning AL MVP in 1985. Nowadays, however, Mattingly is known for his managerial contributions to multiple franchises.
He led multiple Dodgers contenders in the early 2010s before taking over for the Marlins in 2016, then becoming a hitting coach for the Blue Jays. But when Mattingly became the Phillies' interim manager in 2026, he made some history alongside his son, Preston.
Here's what to know about Mattingly's family, including the unique manager-GM relationship he shares in Philadelphia.
MORE: Best quotes from baseball movie 'Field of Dreams'
Don Mattingly son: Taylor MattinglyMattingly has four children, all of whom are sons. His first three sons, Taylor, Preston and Jordon, are shared with his ex-wife, Kim Sexton; the two married in 1979 and divorced after Mattingly's playing career ended. Mattingly's youngest son, Louis, is shared with his now-wife Lori.
Taylor Mattingly, Don's oldest son shared with Sexton, followed in his father's footsteps by playing baseball. In fact, coming out of Central High School in Evansville, Illinois, Taylor was also drafted by the Yankees in the 42nd round of the 2003 MLB Draft — he went on to appear in 24 games for the Gulf Coast League Yankees in the rookie league before an injury ended his season. Taylor Mattingly sat out the 2004 and 2005 seasons before retiring.
Taylor has also faced legal troubles in the past; according to Tristate Homepage, he pleaded guilty to charges of domestic battery in 2022 and was sentenced to one year in prison and a year and a half of probation. Court documents also showed that at that point, he had "been charged four times in the past two years on charges ranging from battery to invasion of privacy."
MORE: Inside real baseball history in 'Field of Dreams'
Don Mattingly son: Preston MattinglyPreston Mattingly is Don's middle son with Sexton. He is currently the general manager of the Phillies — the Don-Preston GM-manager duo is believed to be the first-ever instance of a father and son holding those roles for an MLB franchise.
The Phillies now have the first father/son GM/manager duo in MLB history:
Preston Mattingly (General Manager)
Don Mattingly (Interim Manager) pic.twitter.com/vzDclhn68C
Preston also played baseball, signing a letter of intent to play at the University of Tennessee before the Dodgers drafted him in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft. After receiving a $1 million signing bonus, the second baseman hit .290 for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers, but then struggled in Single-A. The Dodgers later traded Preston Mattingly to Cleveland; he was released by the club, then had another stint with the Dodgers and Yankees organizations to end his playing career.
Preston Mattingly, prior to becoming a baseball executive, also played college basketball for Lamar University, becoming a team captain and graduating in 2016. Afterward, he joined the San Diego Padres as a manager of scouting, later promoted to coordinator of major league advance scouting and game planning.
In 2021, the Phillies hired Mattingly as their director of player development, and in 2023, he was promoted to assistant general manager. It was in 2024 that Mattingly became the team's official general manager, though Dave Dombrowski was in charge of all baseball operations. In the 2026 season, when his father originally joined the team as a bench coach, Preston Mattingly was the GM when the Phillies parted ways with Rob Thomson to make Don Mattingly interim manager.
.@Phillies GM Preston Mattingly talks about the dynamic in Philadelphia with his dad, Don Mattingly, managing the club:
"I guess I've got to figure out where to call him dad or Don." 😂
MLB Network + @SageUSAmericapic.twitter.com/Lfr9qkTyBK
MORE: How Phillies, Twins are bringing throwback look to MLB Field of Dreams Game
Don Mattingly son: Jordon MattinglyMattingly's third son with Sexton is Jordon Mattingly. There is not much public information about Jordon.
However, in 2022, per the New York Post, Jordon was arrested in Evansville, Indiana, for drunk driving, crashing his car and attempting to sell it afterward.
In 2026, when Don was interim manager of the Phillies, he stepped away for one game to attend Jordon's graduation from Purdue, according to Shaun Nestor.
MORE: What to know about MLB's "Field of Dreams" stadium
Don Mattingly son: Louis MattinglyMattingly welcomed Louis, his fourth son and first with Lori Mattingly, in 2014. Per Sports Illustrated, Louis shares a birthday with legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully.
In the 2026 offseason, Don said it was his youngest son who helped encourage him to keep coaching.
“As the season went on, I think as much as anything, my youngest -- Louis, who just turned 11 -- was kind of like, ‘Dad, you can’t stop. You’ve got to keep going,’” Don Mattingly said, per MLB.com. “And I was like, ‘Uhh, I don’t know about this.’”
“It’s kind of crazy to listen to an 11-year-old, but just his feelings on all of that [matter], because he’s paying a price for everything that I do in this."
View this post on InstagramMORE: Is "Field of Dreams" based on a true story?
Don Mattingly wife: Lori MattinglyDon Mattingly's wife is Lori Mattingly.
The two have been married since December 2010, with their wedding being held in Don's hometown of Evansville, Indiana.
Lori often posts on social media with her sons, supporting Don and the Phillies:
View this post on InstagramDon Mattingly parents: Mary and William 'Dee' MattinglyDon's parents were Mary and William "Dee" Mattingly.
According to the Courier & Press, Mary died in 2003, while William died in 2007. Don has also said that his parents "never said a critical word about him athletically."
Don Mattingly brother: Randy MattinglyMattingly's older brother, Randy Mattingly, also had some athletic prowess.
Randy was a quarterback for the University of Evansville, which led him to becoming a fourth-round pick, 100th overall, in the 1973 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He also had practice-squad stints with the Bears, Bills and Bengals. However, he went on to play in the Canadian Football League, spending two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a backup.
MORE: Why the Field of Dreams Game doesn't have ABS challenges
Where is Don Mattingly from?Don Mattingly is from Evansville, Indiana. He was born in the city in 1961, playing Little League baseball in the area, including being a member of the 1973 Great Scot Little League championship team in Evansville.
Mattingly then played for Reitz Memorial High School's baseball team, leading the school to a state-record 59 straight victories in 1978-79. His team also won the state title in 1978; in his high school career, Mattingly hit .463, still holding school records for hits (152), doubles (29), triples (25), RBI (140) and runs (99).
Leave a Comment