Per sources, Matt Hague is leaving #BlueJays to take Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach job. He was a popular guy with players and coaches, nice promotion for the 39-year-old.
Matt Hague departs the Blue Jays and joins the Pirates as their hitting coach
Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton - USA Today
Nov 13, 2024, 15:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 13, 2024, 15:09 EST
Another Toronto Blue Jays staff member has left the team.
On Wednesday morning, TSN’s Scott Mitchell reported that Matt Hague has departed the Blue Jays to become the Pittsburgh Pirates’ new hitting coach.
Hague played for the Pirates in 2012 and 2014, slashing .222/.263/.250 with no home runs in 76 plate appearances, with 15 strikeouts and three walks. The Bellevue, Washington native also played for the Blue Jays in 2015, where he slashed .250/.400/.333 with no home runs in 15 plate appearances.
After playing in Japan and the minor leagues for the rest of his playing career, Hague joined the Blue Jays as the Dunedin Blue Jays hitting coach on January 31, 2020. He worked his way up to the Buffalo Bisons, serving as their hitting coach in the 2023 season.
In 2023, the Bisons slashed .274/.377/.417 with 125 home runs, the fewest in the International League. However, the batting average was the third highest while the on-base percentage was the highest in the league.
Many Blue Jays on the 2024 roster, especially after the trade deadline, were on the 2023 Bisons, including Spencer Horwitz, Davis Schneider, Orelvis Martínez Leo Jiménez (at the end), and Addison Barger. Hague joined the Blue Jays as their assistant hitting coach in January 2024.
The Blue Jays also needed a hitting coach this off-season, but elected to hire former Minnesota Twins hitting coach David Popkins in late October instead of Hague.
Hague joins an anemic offence in Pittsburgh. Last season, the team collectively slashed .234/.301/.371 with 160 home runs in 6,086 plate appearances. Their 86 wRC+ was tied for the third-lowest in the league while they hit the sixth-fewest home runs.
There are some intriguing hitters on the team, such as Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. Moreover, Hague will re-unite with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, whom the Blue Jays traded to the Pirates at the trade deadline for Charles McAdoo.
Either way, best of luck to Matt Hague as he deserves this opportunity!
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.
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