Pirates Name Matt Hague Next Hitting Coach
The Pittsburgh Pirates have brought in a familiar face as their next hitting coach.
TSN Sports' Scott Mitchell reported that the Pirates have hired Matt Hague as their next hitting coach. Hague, 39. was previously the Toronto Blue Jays' assistant hitting coach and had been with their organization since 2019. Before being promoted to the Blue Jays' assistant hitting coach last season, he was the hitting coach for the team's Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons in 2023.
Andy Haines was previously the Pirates' hitting coach from 2022 to 2024 before the Pirates parted ways with him after the season
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Hague was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 11th round of the 2007 MLB Draft before making his big league debut in 2012 with the Pirates. Hague only amassed 76 plate appearances with Pittsburgh across the 2012 and 2014 seasons and spent the final season of his MLB career with the Blue Jays in 2015.
Hague will be tasked with turning around a Pirates offense that struggled mightily in 2024. Pittsburgh was 23rd in batting average, 24th in runs scored, 26th in on-base percentage and 27th in slugging percentage.
If Hague can find a way to get more out of the Pirates offense, it'd go a long way toward supporting a pitching staff that could be among the league's best and potentially snapping a nine-year streak of missing the playoffs.
