Chili Davis Fired as Mets Hitting Coach; Hugh Quattlebaum Named Replacement

It didn't take long for the New York Mets to make some major changes following their 11-12 start to the 2021 campaign.

According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, the National League East team fired hitting coaches Chili Davis and Tom Slater following Monday's 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Hugh Quattlebaum, who was their minor-league hitting coordinator, will take over for Davis, while farm director Kevin Howard will take over for Slater.

The Mets hired Davis following the 2018 season when he was fired from the same role on the Chicago Cubs.

He was an impressive hitter during his playing days as a three-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion who played for the San Francisco Giants, California Angels, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees from 1981 through 1999. He finished his career with a .274/.360/.451 slash line, 350 home runs and 1,372 RBI.

Davis' coaching career took off in 2011 when he was hired as the hitting coach of the Pawtucket Red Sox. 

The Oakland Athletics hired him in 2012, and he eventually went to the Boston Red Sox in 2015. Chicago then hired him for the 2018 campaign after the Red Sox let him go following two seasons.

Expectations were sky high for the Mets after they added Francisco Lindor this past offseason, but the offense has largely sputtered.

They are 21st in the league in OPS, while Lindor is slashing an ugly .163/.284/.209 with a single home run.

The front office clearly believed the early struggles necessitated changes, and the welcome news for New York is how winnable the NL East truly is this season. Even at 11-12, the team is a half-game behind the first place Washington Nationals.

Even a slight improvement from the offense may be enough to reach the playoffs.