New York Mets Hire Phillies Instructor to Guide Minor League Hitters

The New York Mets are hoping the former Philadelphia Phillies hitting instructor can help their young players in 2024.

The New York Mets made what could be a key hire to its minor league staff by luring Kevin Mahala away from the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Mahala will be the Mets’ minor-league hitting coordinator, per the New York Post, and is another hire by new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who is hoping to improve the organization’s overall hitting at the minor league level.

That prospect development will be key to the Mets’ future at the plate. Eight of the team’s Top 10 prospects, per MLB.com, are hitters, including the three prospects they acquired in trades at the deadline — Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. That list also includes 2023 Mets minor league player of the year Jett Williams.

Acuña, Gilbert and Clifford are three players that could be ready to join the Mets as soon as 2024, with Williams potentially a call-up in late 2024 or 2025.

Before joining the Mets, Mahala spent four seasons with the Phillies, starting his tenure as a player information assistant before he was promoted to an offensive development analyst.

He became an upper-level hitting coordinator and development analyst for the Phillies a year ago.

Before he joined the Phillies, he played two seasons of minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after he was an 18th round pick out of George Washington.

In two seasons of minor league baseball with the West Virginia Black Bears and the West Virginia Power, he slashed .243/.319/.317/.636 with six home runs and 45 RBI. He was also named a 2016 New York-Penn League All-Star.

With George Washington, he played three seasons of college baseball and hit .264 with seven home runs and 90 RBI.