John Mallee is staying with the Chicago Cubs, and that’s welcome news for Pete Crow-Armstrong.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported Monday night that Mallee has taken himself out of the running for the Mets’ hitting-coach opening, despite outside interest from New York. The Cubs assistant hitting coach was viewed as a candidate to become the lead voice in another organization, but for now he’s set to remain in Chicago in 2027.
That matters inside the Cubs’ dugout, where Mallee has carved out a close relationship with Crow-Armstrong since returning to the organization for his second stint. The two first worked together in 2023 at Triple-A Iowa, when Mallee was with the Iowa Cubs, and Mallee has been on the big-league staff since the start of the 2024 season.
Mallee’s return also keeps a familiar face alongside assistant Juan Cabreja and hitting coach Dustin Kelly. This is Mallee’s second run with the Cubs overall; his first came more than a decade ago, when he worked as a hitting coach on Joe Maddon’s staff from 2015-17.
The Cubs’ offense gave him plenty to point to in 2026. The team finished the regular season with a modern franchise record 114 wRC+, led MLB with 850 runs scored, ranked third in home runs with 220, and finished second in the league with a .339 team OBP.
The players drove the production, but Mallee drew praise too, including from Crow-Armstrong. Veteran third baseman Alex Bregman also singled him out during the season.
There was also that June stretch when a fan spotted Dansby Swanson getting extra work with Mallee at Wrigley Field just before Swanson went on a historic tear.
Mallee has been around plenty of stops in the majors since first getting to the highest level with the then-Florida Marlins in 2010. Along the way, he’s worked with the Astros, Phillies and Angels in addition to both of his Cubs stints.
Still, his future had been in question because the Mets were looking hard. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that Mallee was on New York’s list of interview candidates for its coaching staff vacancy, and the New York Post had already reported Kevin Long as another known candidate.
The Mets made changes after a season in which they tied for 20th in runs with 699 and dismissed director of hitting Jeff Albert. They kept hitting coach Troy Snitker and assistant Rafael Fernandez, and a source said the club was initially uncertain whether it would hire a new hitting director over Snitker or another assistant beneath him.
For now, Mallee is staying put with the Cubs, and that likely gives Chicago one more season with the coach who has become such a trusted presence for Crow-Armstrong.
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