Matt Hague Excited To Coach Pirates' Stars
Newly hired Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Matt Hague has his work cut out for him trying to turn around an offense that has ranked among the league's worst in recent years.
While getting more out of what may be mostly the same roster won't be easy, Pittsburgh isn't without talented hitters. Switch-hitting outfielder Bryan Reynolds and left-handed hitting center fielder Oneil Cruz paced the offense in 2024, and they're two of the players Hague is looking forward to coaching the most.
“It is an exciting group, because they’re very strong and athletic guys, and we want to use that to our advantage," Hague said in a Q&A with MLB.com's Jim Lachimia. "You look at Bryan Reynolds, who’s done it for a long time at a very high level. His teammates have such extremely positive things to say about him and how he goes about his work. And then there’s the physicality and athleticism of Oneil Cruz, a guy who hits the ball extremely hard. Looking at the roster, it’s the athleticism and physicality that stand out."
Reynolds has been one of the game's more underrated hitters, tallying at least 24 home runs in four straight seasons and 84 RBIs in three of the last four. He made the second All-Star team of his career in 2024 and hit .275/.344/.447 with 24 home runs and 88 RBIs.
In Cruz's first full season for Pittsburgh, he set career highs with 21 home runs, 76 RBIs and 22 stolen bases while hitting .259/.324/.449.
While Cruz and Reynolds are a solid tandem for Pittsburgh to build around, it's going to need more out of players like right-handed hitting third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes and right-handed hitting catcher Joey Bart to continue his success from last year for a whole season. Hague also touted the team's physical abilities and how he plans to use them to help each player reach their full potential.
"Looking at the roster, it’s the athleticism and physicality that stand out," Hague said. "So, it’s about bringing that together to where they do grow. It’s putting those puzzles together, one by one. No matter what stage of their career they’re at, they all want to take that next step, they all want to win, and they’ll do whatever it takes. It’s an extremely positive lens that all these guys are looking through. And I want to help mold that and bring that together.”
