PITTSBURGH — Throughout the spring of 2012, Matt Hague earned the nickname “the hit collector” after a torrid Spring Coaching that earned him a spot on the Main League staff. Twelve years later, the Pirates are turning to him once more to attempt to get the offense going.
Hague has been employed because the Pirates’ new hitting coach, a supply informed MLB.com, changing Andy Haines, who was fired after three years with the staff on the conclusion of the season. The membership has not confirmed the information.
Hague, 39, spent final season because the Blue Jays’ Main League assistant hitting coach after serving as a Minor League hitting coach of their system from 2020-23. As a participant, he performed elements of the 2012 and ’14 seasons with the Pirates and the ’15 marketing campaign with the Blue Jays.
Hague will probably be inheriting an offense that actually has some items, nevertheless it has struggled to supply. The 2024 staff ranked twenty fourth within the Majors in runs scored (665) and twenty seventh in staff OPS (.672), however did have some vibrant spots. Bryan Reynolds returned to All-Star type, Joey Bart and Nick Gonzales began residing as much as their first-round pedigree and Oneil Cruz improved because the season progressed and had a 20-20 season.
Nevertheless, there are many gamers who’re going to want to take a step ahead in 2025, together with Ke’Bryan Hayes — whose well being goes to be paramount in him producing extra — Henry Davis, Jack Suwinski and Bryan De La Cruz, to call just a few.
Lots of the prospects within the higher ranges of the Pirates’ farm system are pitchers, with infielders Termarr Johnson (No. 3, per MLB Pipeline) and Nick Yorke (No. 6), and outfielder/infielder Billy Cook dinner (No. 24) the one place gamers on the group’s prime prospects record who completed the season at Double-A Altoona or larger. That’s going to imply will probably be crucial for different younger hitters to proceed to develop, together with Liover Peguero, Endy Rodríguez, Jared Triolo and lots of the different gamers who had been already talked about.
Normal supervisor Ben Cherington spoke on the GM Conferences in San Antonio final week about not searching for a “unicorn” hitting coach, and that it should be the work of the hitting staff to finest serve the group. The Main League hitting coach goes to be an integral a part of that staff, after all.
“We’re searching for somebody who can add to these areas, but additionally be a complement to our group,” Cherington stated. “Serve all that by the group of individuals.”
Throughout his end-of-season information convention, Cherington expressed a need for a “tighter connection” from the hitting staff, “in order that work that goes towards getting gamers higher quicker is going on higher and quicker on a regular basis.”
The Pirates have usually gone with player-centric candidates with a background in participant growth for his or her teaching hires since Cherington and supervisor Derek Shelton took cost, and Hague appears to suit that invoice. Whereas the Blue Jays didn’t have an amazing season offensively in 2024, a lot of their hitters complimented Hague on their success. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was within the combine for an American League batting crown within the first half of 2024 earlier than touchdown on the injured record after which being dealt to the Pirates on the Commerce Deadline.
Hague would be the third hitting coach below Shelton, who’s coming into his sixth season with the Pirates. Rick Eckstein was relieved of his duties in-season in 2021, and Haines spent three years with the Pirates.
Hitting coach was considered one of two positions the Pirates needed to fill on the Main League workers, the opposite being changing bullpen coach Justin Meccage.
