The Mets are in line to sit down with former hitting coach Kevin Long on Tuesday, and if they end up bringing him back, there are a few bats in Queens that could stand to gain from it.
According to Mike Puma of The New York Post, the Mets will meet with Long about a role on the staff after parting ways with director of hitting Jeff Albert following the regular season. Long is no stranger to the organization. He was on the Mets’ staff when they reached the World Series in 2015, and he also carries a résumé that includes World Series titles with the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees.
He was let go by the Philadelphia Phillies last week after five seasons as their hitting coach. Long also has a built-in connection with Juan Soto, whom he coached during his time with the Nationals.
Soto already has the star power. The more interesting question is which other Mets hitters could get a real bump from Long’s presence.
Brett Baty is one of them. The former 2019 first-round pick finally started looking like the player the Mets hoped for in 2025, when he put up a 3.0 bWAR across 130 games.
But his season came with plenty of turbulence. He scuffled badly in the first half, then found his footing after the All-Star break.
Over 50 games in the second half, Baty hit .277/.345/.508 with an .853 OPS, seven home runs and 25 RBI. Long has a reputation for helping hitters sort out mechanical issues, and that kind of input might have helped Baty escape that early-season hole sooner.
He’s also known as a strong communicator, which could matter just as much for a player still trying to lock in as a long-term force.
A.J. Ewing is another name that fits the mold.
The Mets center fielder posted a solid rookie year, slashing .252/.324/.376 with a .700 OPS, 11 homers, 43 RBI, 25 stolen bases and a 3.1 bWAR. Still, his season was not smooth from start to finish.
August was rough, and it dragged down what had been a promising debut. He rebounded in September, and there’s reason to think Long could help smooth out those kinds of valleys.
Ewing already showed some pop with 11 home runs, and Long’s preference for getting hitters to lift the ball could help him get even more damage out of his swing by cutting down on grounders.
Then there’s Jared Young, whose role grew at first base in 2026. Young put together a breakout season of his own, finishing with a .266/.330/.429 line, a .759 OPS, nine home runs and 39 RBI in 103 games.
The issue is matchup trouble: he hit only .228 with a .606 OPS against lefties, which makes him look more like a bench or platoon option than an everyday answer. Even so, Long’s track record gives Young a real shot to improve in that area.
And just like with Ewing, a little more lift in the swing could be the difference between a nice season and a bigger one.
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