Mets fire hitting coaches as offense struggles to start season
The New York Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater moments after their 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team announced.
Minor-league hitting coordinator Hugh Quattlebaum will take over for Davis as the Mets' hitting coach, while farm director Kevin Howard will step into Slater's assistant role on Luis Rojas' staff.
New York's offense, expected to be one of the most potent units in the National League, has struggled mightily through the first month-plus of this campaign. The club ranks 20th in OPS and has hit an MLB-low 18 homers. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, the team's prized offseason acquisition, has been slow to get going in his first season in Flushing.
Still, Mets general manager Zack Scott hinted that other factors may have contributed to the change.
"This isn't about recent results. This is about the process behind the scenes," Scott said, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic.
Mets GM Zack Scott acknowledged the risk in firing Chili Davis, a hitting coach the players genuinely liked (Jeff McNeil called him Chili Dog), but feels that risk is worth it to offer a different type of support and bring new skills to the mix.
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) May 4, 2021
Davis, a three-time All-Star and World Series champion during his playing career, had served as New York's hitting coach since 2019. Slater, 53, was hired as assistant hitting coach by then-manager Mickey Callaway in 2018.
Quattlebaum and Howard both joined the Mets organization this winter.
New York hired Quattlebaum this offseason. The 42-year-old previously worked for the Seattle Mariners, where he was Scott Servais' assistant hitting coach in 2020.
Howard, 39, worked as Cleveland's minor-league hitting coordinator before being hired by the Mets.