Mets Fire Hitting Coaches Chili Davis and Tom Slater After Dismal Start

The Mets are making a change after their dismal start to the 2021 season.

The Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater on Monday night. 

Hugh Quattlebaum will be the team's new hitting coach. Kevin Howard will now serve as an assistant.

Hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater have been relieved of their duties, effective immediately. Hugh Quattlebaum has been named the new hitting coach and Kevin Howard is the new assistant hitting coach. https://t.co/TtQKojnhFV

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 4, 2021

New York's offense has gotten off to a dismal start to the 2021 season. The Mets entered Monday night with a meager .364 slugging percentage as a team, and they sat last in the National League in runs, hits and home runs. Francisco Lindor has homered just once as a Met, while outfielder Michael Conforto has posted a .439 slugging percentage.

The Mets did manage to score five runs against the Cardinals on Monday night, but they fell below .500 in a 6–5 loss. They scored eight runs in a win over the Phillies on Sunday. 

Quattlebaum joined the Mets in 2020 after six years with Cleveland. Howard logged 12 professional seasons as a player, logging stints with the Reds, Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Mariners, Padres, Blue Jays and Cardinals organizations. 

The Mets fell to third in the NL East at 11–12 with Monday's loss.