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After an extensive search, the New York Mets have found their new hitting coach. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets are hiring Johnny Washington as a co-hitting coach on Andy Green's staff. Washington, 42, spent the 2026 season as the Atlanta Braves' minor league hitting coordinator and previously worked at the major-league level with the Los Angeles Angels under Ron Washington. Notably, he also worked in San Diego when Green managed the Padres.
This marks the second hire this week with ties to Green. The Mets also brought in former major league catcher A.J. Ellis, who played under Green in 2018, as their major league strategy coordinator. Additionally, New York promoted Mariano Duncan to its major league staff after he served as Double-A Binghamton's bench coach last season.
Key Analysis
While Washington's hitting philosophy remains to be seen, the circumstances of his hiring are unusual. He joins as a co-hitting coach rather than in a more prominent role, and the Mets already have hitting coach Troy Snitker and assistant hitting coach Rafael Fernandez, both retained despite a lackluster offensive season. The expectation after Albert's firing was that New York would bring in a new voice to oversee the hitting staff, not add a third coach. The Mets reportedly spoke with the Chicago Cubs' John Mallee and the Philadelphia Phillies' Kevin Long, both well-respected and viewed as strong candidates, but neither pursuit materialized. With Washington's hiring, the Mets appear to have turned to a familiar face from Green's time in San Diego after missing out on their top targets.
Having three hitting coaches in the same clubhouse is unusual, though the Milwaukee Brewers had four hitting coaches on their major league staff last season and won their first World Series title. However, the Brewers designated one coach as the lead hitting coach, while the Mets reportedly have no such distinction. How this plays out for New York is uncertain. One thing is clear: the Mets cannot afford a repeat of last season's offensive struggles. They ranked in the bottom 10 in several major offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.310), slugging percentage (.396), and runs scored (699). A major factor was an injury-riddled season in which Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto played fewer than 60 games together. With both players back healthy, the offense must be a strength next season. If the team struggles early, newcomers like Washington and returning coaches like Snitker could find themselves on the hot seat.