Phillies Hire Peter Fatse as New Hitting Coach

The Philadelphia Phillies have officially announced Peter Fatse as their new hitting coach, replacing Kevin Long ahead of the 2027 season. The club also added Joe Cronin as an assistant hitting coach, with Edwar Gonzalez returning as an assistant hitting coach for a second season. The announcement, made on Tuesday, ends weeks of speculation about the direction of the Phillies' offense after a disappointing 2026 campaign.

Fatse, 39, served as the Boston Red Sox hitting coach from the start of 2022 until April 2026, when he was let go as part of a mass firing that also claimed manager Alex Cora. He then spent the last few months as a hitting consultant with the Tampa Bay Rays' research and development group. From 2022 through 2025, the Red Sox ranked fourth in baseball in batting average and 11th in on-base percentage, and Boston's offense finished in the top 10 in batting average and runs scored in each of his first four seasons in the role.

The Phillies' offense bottomed out under Long in 2026, with several veterans enduring the least productive seasons of their careers, and something had to change despite some stars' strong relationship with the former coach. Fatse had also interviewed with the rival New York Mets for their hitting coach vacancy, while former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has joined Philadelphia as infield coach. The Phillies are betting that Fatse can give their lineup a new look — and a new voice — in 2027.

Source: Philadelphia Phillies / MLB Trade Rumors / The Athletic