Two NL East lineups went quiet in 2026. Only two Philadelphia Phillies regulars, first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, posted a wRC+ above 102. The New York Mets, carrying a $375 million payroll, still finished 74-88 while shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Juan Soto missed 100-plus games combined.
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Phillies acted first on this issue. Peter Fatse, the 39-year-old former Boston Red Sox hitting coach, is set to become the new hitting coach for the Phillies, reported Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic.
This comes after Kevin Long, who worked for the team since 2022, was fired following the loss in the Wild Card round against the Atlanta Braves.
The need was obvious.
Philadelphia ranked 7th, 8th, 5th, and 8th in runs from 2022 to 2025 under Long, then dropped to 19th in 2026. The OPS fell from .759, fourth in MLB, to .707, 22nd; the average slipped from .258 to .240, and slugging sank to 24th.
Fatse brings a track record, since Boston produced a .255/.322/.419 line and a 104 wRC+ from 2022 to 2025 under his watch.
The hire also carries a familiar name in the background.
Fatse worked under Alex Cora, the former Red Sox manager who rejected the Phillies in April and again in October. Cora and Fatse were both fired 27 games into 2026 after a 10-17 start.
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies president of baseball operations, built a strong relationship with Cora while running Boston’s front office from 2015 to 2019, and manager Don Mattingly holds only a two-year deal.
The results under Fatse offer little clarity. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill recorded an .847 OPS in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox and got a three-year contract from the Baltimore Orioles, but could not repeat that kind of performance.
Philadelphia even imported Carlos Mendoza, the former Mets manager, as its new third base coach. The Mets, meanwhile, are rebuilding their own staff.
Mets hand Mariano Duncan a big league role as hitting search continues
Queens has its own plan, and it begins on the farm.
The Mets are bringing in Mariano Duncan, a 63-year-old Double-A bench coach, into their major league staff, providing some veteran insight to the lineup that has struggled throughout the entire season.
According to a story written for the New York Post by Joel Sherman, “Duncan is expected to help in multiple areas with the position player group.”
The wording fits his résumé.
Duncan has coached in the organization since 2019, beginning as the Kingsport hitting coach; catcher Francisco Alvarez and infielder Brett Baty were among his pupils.
As a player, he won World Series rings with the Cincinnati Reds in 1990 and the New York Yankees in 1996.
Spring training in 2027 will show whether the move works. The Toronto Blue Jays set the precedent in January 2024 by promoting Triple-A Buffalo hitting coach Matt Hague to assistant hitting coach.
The Mets still have a hitting vacancy after Kevin Long and Chicago Cubs assistant John Mallee fell out of the running, while hitting coach Troy Snitker is expected to stay.