Washington Nationals: Darnell Coles Hired To Be The New Hitting Coach

Darnell Coles was named the team’s new hitting coach, bringing his coaching career full circle.

After long time hitting coach Kevin Long left for the Philadelphia Phillies, it was unclear who was going to fill his vacancy. It was rumored on October 15 that the team was closing in on a deal with old friend Darnell Coles and after a few days of silence, it was reported earlier today that a deal had been finalized.

For those unfamiliar with Coles, the 59-year-old spent the early part of his coaching career in the Nationals system. Coles worked his way up the coaching ladder with the Nationals, starting as a roving hitting instructor in 2006. In 2007 he managed the team’s collegiate affiliate, the Vermont Lake Monsters before managing Washington’s Single-A team, Hagerstown Suns in 2008. After the 2008 season, he became the hitting coach for their AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs.

From 2015-2018, Coles served as the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach and was instrumental in morphing Christian Yelich into an MVP candidate. When Yelich was traded from Miami to Milwaukee at the start of the 2018 season, he was a contact hitter who couldn’t hit for much power.

Over his five years in Miami Marlins, Yelich slashed .290/.369/.432, with 59 homers, 293 RBIs, and an OPS of .800. In his first season with Coles and the Brew Crew, Yelich transformed into one of the best players in baseball, slashing .326/.402/.598. He added 36 homers and was named NL MVP while helping the Brewers win the division.

While Coles left the team after the 2018 season, Yelich continued his dominance, finishing second in NL MVP voting in 2019. Coles went on to join the Arizona Diamondbacks, where has spent the past three seasons. Similar to his with Yelich in Milwaukee, Coles transformed Ketel Marte into a game-changer. In his first season working with Marte, the righty slashed .329/.389./.592 and finished fourth in NL MVP voting.

While Marte flourished under Coles’s tutelage, the rest of the offense struggled at times and Coles was let go halfway through the 2021 season. Injuries and a rebuilding roster played a major role in the Diamondback’s lackluster numbers.

Now with Washington, Coles will need to find a way for the offense to take the next step. This year, they ranked first in the NL in batting average (.258) and OBP (.337), but stumbled when it came to situational hitting. They were ninth in the NL in both homers (182) and RBIs (686).

Outside of Juan Soto and Josh Bell, the Nationals offense consists of a young and inexperienced core who will benefit greatly from Coles’s insight.