Eric Chavez Returns as Hitting Coach
The New York Mets are keeping Eric Chavez around, and have switched his role again.
Chavez, who was the bench coach in 2023, will now return to his original role as hitting coach, per SNY’s Andy Martino. He will be one of two hitting coaches under new manager Carlos Mendoza, the other being the incumbent Jeremy Barnes.
Martino suggests that the players are more than pleased to see Chavez retained by the Mets and in his original role. He was praised internally for his guidance of the offense in 2022, which saw the Mets have the second highest team batting average and on-base percentage (.259 and .332, respectively) while scoring 772 runs (fifth-best in MLB), all major factors in the team’s 101-win season.
Without Chavez, the offense regressed in 2023, falling to a .238 team average (sixth-worst in MLB) and ranking 20th in runs scored with 717. Nonetheless, Jeremy Barnes will return for his second season as the Mets’ hitting coach, and will work alongside Chavez.
The Mets will now need a new bench coach for 2024. One surprise candidate for this role is former Mets manager Willie Randolph, a mentor of Mendoza.
Chavez, who turns 46 in December, played 17 seasons as a third baseman from 1998 to 2014, the first 13 coming with the Oakland Athletics, and hit .268/.342/.475 with 260 home runs. Ironically, despite his excellent reputation as a hitting coach, he was best known for his defensive prowess as a player, winning six consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001 to 2006, although he did win a Silver Slugger in 2002.
After having special assistant roles with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels, Chavez was named assistant hitting coach for the Yankees in December 2021 before the Mets hired him as hitting coach in January 2022. Former Mets general manager Billy Eppler was present for all of Chavez’s front office and coaching roles in each organization; although Eppler has resigned from his role as Mets GM, Chavez will remain with the organization.
