The Phillies have signed hitting coach Kevin Long to a contract extension that runs through the 2025 season, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link). Long just completed his first season in Philadelphia, joining the team last winter after a four-year stint as the Nationals’ hitting coach.
Most coaches operate on year-to-year contracts, yet the extra amount of security for Long reflects both the high regard for his work around the league, and the Phillies’ interest in keeping other teams from poaching the 55-year-old for other jobs. Long has been mentioned as a possible managerial candidate, and looking at his past jobs, the Nationals needed a three-year commitment to first sign him away from the Mets following the 2017 season.
Long has been a lead hitting coach in each of the last 16 seasons, working with the Yankees from 2007-14, the Mets from 2015-17, Washington from 2018-2021, and last year in Philadelphia. That tenure has resulted in two World Series rings (with the Yankees in 2009 and Nationals in 2019), as well as two other pennant-winning clubs.
After falling two games shy of the World Series, it isn’t surprising that the Phillies want to keep Long in the fold. Philadelphia hitters finished in or near the top 10 in most team-wide offensive categories, and Phillies hitters combined for a 106 wRC+ (tenth-best of any team in baseball). While the Phils already had plenty of established veteran bats in the lineup, they also received strong work from youngsters Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, which could be chalked up to Long’s tutelage. Manager Rob Thomson and Long have a lengthy working relationship, dating back to their shared days on the Yankees’ coaching staff.
Awesome news!
Schwarber likes it.
Sure he does, Adam Dunn is the new paradigm for BB sluggers.
Can’t hit their weight, but homeruns = the added weight of a Thanksgiving dinner
Nah
Short post about Long
Gee……
He never even got an interview with the White Sox for manager.
I was assured by posters here that they were interested in him.
Does Long speak Spanish well?
Great for the Phils….hopefully Castellanos can get his head and body right with an off season with Long…..
Trea Turner worked with Long. Just saying.
Yes no one mentions it but that is a big part of the draw to Phillie. The Dodger coaches are all analytics, no bunt, no steal, no two strike approach, just dingers and K’s, the last 3-4 in the lineup hardly hit their weight. He misses coach K
Perfect fit
Von,
Don’t know if Cigar Guy will open up his wallet again this year, but of all the SS on the market, I do like Trea Turner the best.
If signing a high-priced FA shortstop isn’t in the cards for us, I would not be averse to bringing back Segura on a less expensive deal and using whatever money we have to bolster the starting rotation.
JMHO, but I believe Nick Martinez, who opted out of his contract with the Padres, wouldn’t cost too much and could give us what or more than what Gibson gave us in 2022. Plus Martinez is versatile. Last year he worked as a starter, in middle relief, opener and even closed while Hader was out trying to get back on track.
Well come on k long let’s go!
Good for K Long! What’s Thomson’s contract status?
Gonna be a LONG term relationship…
Yes yes yes. This was actually the extension I wanted them to do. There was such an improvement in the whole offense when they started working with K Long. He is the best in the game. Very happy with this news.
Great hitting coach. It sucks that he kinda took the fall for an inferior Yankees lineup at the end of his tenure in the Bronx, but he gets results and I’m glad to see him get that extension with Philadelphia.
People here only talk about Dombrowski’s personnel moves.
In his 2 years in Philly he not only changed his ML manager, he upgraded his coaching staffs with both their major and minor league teams…..including many coaches whose names we don’t even know.
MLB isn’t rotisserie league where an owner trades this guys stats for another guys stats. Successful MLB franchises make the players they have under contract better. How they’re coached up and how they’re deployed.
Great keep & Harper has done well under Long. Another reason maybe Trea T comes over b/c of the positive years w him and that 2019 WS NATS won.
He’s had significant success at every stop of his career, with hitting improving, including individual success stories. The Yankees, Mets, Nats and Phillies all went to the World Series with Long as hitting coach. Every team.
Ryan’s wife happy Long got an extension , now he’s Longer
Who’s Ryan?
Oops I meant Kevin
A lot of positivity for a hitting coach of a team that was no hit in the World Series. Hoskins and Castellanos were horrid in the Series, Stott had 0 hits and Realmuto struck out a dozen times. Curious.
Did you follow the team through the season or did you just watch the World Series and claim to known what you’re talking about?
I’m okay with bringing back Long. However, I’d like to see more of an emphasis put on putting the ball in play and maybe even drawing more walks. Hoskins used to be very good at the latter but lately, not so much.
I know it ain’t gonna happen, but if I were running the Phillies I’d send all those Ivy League analytic guys packing and get back to playing baseball the way it used to be played.
Screw launch angle and exit velocity. I’ll bet Willie Mays never knew or cared about either one of those stats.
Dunno. The game might be trending back in that direction. I think the situation in Houston, where Dusty stayed and the GM got ousted, might be an omen that more enjoyable baseball viewing is on the horizon. To wit, stop swinging for the fences on every swing. Strikeouts are boring!
Weren’t the Phil’s no hit in the series??
Yea, but they also hit a bunch of dingers the day before winning 7-0. The Astros starting pitching and bullpen is arguably the most complete pitching staff I have ever seen. No shame in getting shutdown by them. Lots of teams were.
He’s been to the World Series as the Hitting Coach for 3 different NL East teams (‘22 Phillies, ‘19 Nats, and ‘15 Mets).
Heard he was a candidate for several managerial positions. He’s a good Baseball man and I hope he continues to find success with Philadelphia.
One of the few hitting coaches worth his salary.
Love this move. The Broad St. Bombers will be back!! Let’s go Phils!
The Apostle of “Short to it…long through it”. Good for him. Another successful descendant with NYY DNA.
Re: “Short to it, long through it.”
What? Are you into romance novels?