Pirates hire Matt Hague as new hitting coach
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pirates officially announced on Thursday that they have hired Matt Hague as the team's new MLB hitting coach.
"We're very excited to add Matt to our group as he adds a blend of both playing and coaching experience combined with really strong relationships," said Pirates Manager Derek Shelton. "The feedback we got from players he's worked with previously has been outstanding. We look forward to him leading our hitting team moving forward."
This past season, Hague served as the assistant hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. He had been with the Blue Jays organization since 2019, serving as a hitting coach at the AA and AAA levels.
Hague's hiring is a return to the organization that drafted him. The Pirates selected Hague in the 9th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
In two seasons with the Pirates, Hague had 72 at-bats, 16 hits, seven RBIs, and a batting average of .222.
He also spent one year with the Blue Jays as a player in 2015.
Hague will be replacing Andy Haines who was let go as the Pirates' hitting coach after three seasons.
This past year, the Pirates ranked 24th in the league in runs scored and 27th in team OPS.