So, Matt Hague will return for his second season as the Pittsburgh Pirates' hitting coach in 2026.
MLB.com Alex Stumpf reported the news earlier this week. However, the decision on retaining Hague remains unclear.
While I hate to give the same old refrain, some of the horrid aspects of the Pirates' season need repeating.
They were last in MLB in scoring with an average of 3.60 runs per game. They were also at the bottom of the league in home runs (117), slugging percentage (.350), and OPS (.655).
First baseman Spencer Horwitz was the only Pirates hitter who was above league average with an OPS of +118.
Hague and Horwitz were together with the Toronto Blue Jays and obviously clicked. Despite having hand surgery two weeks before spring training and getting off to a slow start, Horwitz ended up with a .272/.353/.434 slash line and 11 home runs in 108 games.
However, three of the Pirates' key hitters regressed under Hague's tutelage, most notably slick-fielding third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.
Hayes hit a dismal .236/.279/.290 with two home runs in 100 games. Somehow, general manager Ben Cherington got the Cincinnati Reds to take Hayes off the Pirates' hands.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz was a massive disappointment after showing much-needed plate discipline earlier in the season and finishing in a tie for first in the National League with 38 stolen bases. He wound up hitting .200/.298/.378 in 135 games, which offset his steals and team-high 20 home runs.
Reynolds hit just 16 homers and drove in 73 runs in 154 games while slashing .245/.313/.402. Over the previous four seasons from 2021-24, Reynolds hit .276/.352/.472 while averaging 25 home runs and 81 RBIs.
It's fair to wonder if the 30-year-old is entering the decline phase of his career or merely had a bad season.
Hague is the third hitting coach since Cherington took over as general manager before the 2020 season. Neither Rick Eckstein nor Andy Haines worked out.
Things haven't changed with Hague overseeing the hitters.
Usually, it isn't fair to give anyone just one season on the job, but in this case, it's not.