It sounds like the NY Mets are looking for some level of Pete Crow-Armstrong payback

The New York Mets are known to be on the hunt for a hitting coach of some kind. Joining Kevin Long is John Mallee.

According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Mallee has a close relationship with the former Mets prospect turned “worst trade in Mets history” Pete Crow-Armstrong. A connection to throw three letters, PCA, is enough to have Mallee on any short list for hitting coach help.

Mallee certainly doesn’t get his name engraved on any sort of MVP trophy PCA may receive. However, turning a player who looked to have average power at best into a 31 home run and now 45 dinger guy is sure to catch anyone’s attention. Moreover, with the Mets having a couple of young left-handed hitters already on the roster and several prospects nearing MLB-readiness, a case could be made that his success with one young star is plenty good enough to make him a frontrunner candidate with a bias toward the recent.

If John Mallee is responsible for the Cubs offense in 2026, the Mets can’t let him leave the room

The Cubs were first in OPS and runs scored this past year. They were second in OBP, third in home runs, and sixth in batting average. Crow-Armstrong carried the heaviest load. He had help, former Mets outfielder Michael Conforto putting together an .800 OPS season in his part-time role included.

When on the search for any sort of hitting coach help, the Mets need to ask themselves who they are and what the candidates can do. You hire what fits your own identity and don’t change for who has the job, right?

It hasn’t been all rose-colored glasses for Mallee. A former Philadelphia Phillies hitting coach at one point just like Long, he was fired in August of 2019 amid a slump that had the club falling out of playoff contention. He had three years with the Los Angeles Angels immediately after. He joined the Cubs as a Triple-A hitting coach before getting promoted to the majors again. It was his second-tour with the Cubs as he spent the 2014-2017 seasons as their hitting coach already only to get replaced by Chili Davis.

Mallee is another one of those seasoned-veteran types who’d give the Mets a different type of input than Troy Snitker or Rafael Fernandez. His coaching career began in 1996. Snitker and Fernandez were born 8 years earlier in 1988.

With age comes experience. It seems most desirable hitting coaches have some player they’re connected to in a positive way. Long has Daniel Murphy and a good relationship with Juan Soto. Mallee has Crow-Armstrong. Which could the Mets use more? I’d take the guy whose coaching has more recently paid off in a big way.

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