The Reds announced today that Chris Valaika has been hired as director of hitting and major league hitting coach. He had previously been with the Guardians as that club’s hitting coach but will now move to the other side of Ohio.
Valaika, 39, was originally a third-round draft pick of the Reds back in 2006. He played in the majors from 2010 to 2014, for the Reds, Marlins and Cubs, and then pivoted to coaching after his playing days. He started in the minor league system of the Cubs, eventually working his way up to the major league staff with that club. He was hired by the Guardians going into 2022, working under then-manager Terry Francona.
Francona stepped away after 2023 to focus on his health, with Stephen Vogt taking over as Cleveland’s skipper. Francona is ready to return to a managerial role, as it was reported earlier this month than he’ll be leading the Reds starting with the 2025 season, replacing David Bell.
A few days after Francona’s hiring became public, it was reported that Cincinnati was moving on from hitting coach Joel McKeithan as well as assistant hitting coaches Terry Bradshaw and Tim LaMonte. One of those positions has now been filled with a familiar face for Francona.
In 2022, the Guardians hit .254/.316/.383 for a wRC+ of 100. That indicates they were exactly league average, though their 18.2% strikeout rate was the lowest in the majors by a notable margin, with the Astros second at 19.5%. The Cleveland offense dipped a bit in 2023, with a .250/.313/.381 line and 91 wRC+, but again with the best strikeout rate in the league. Here in 2024, they dropped to fifth-lowest in terms of strikeout rate but added some more power, getting to a .238/.307/.395 line and 100 wRC+ as they pushed as far as the ALCS.
It’s always difficult to separate the contributions of a coach from the performances of the players on the team, but Francona presumably had a good relationship with Valaika during their two years together, as he has now plucked him away and brought him to Cincinnati.
Old boys network.
This guy 39 years old, not necessarily old boys network.
Old boys network has nothing to do with age.
Well…I suppose it depends, but I see your point. I think when that phrase is used though, a picture of a 39 year old doesn’t immediately pop into everyone’s head.
Valaika has negative career WAR, never better than zero in each of four seasons.
He’s a coach now lol
Right, I remember him as a fringe AAAA guy. A lot of hitting coaches were pretty bad major league hitters, but Barry Bonds wasn’t a great hitting coach either. I looked at Valaika’s minor league stats though and he was a good hitter down there.
@MLB
And Barry bonds was a terrible coach….
Just because chris didnt do well in MLB doesn’t mean he cant be a major league hitting coach.
Francona took too much time off. The game has changed and he isn’t prepared for this new version of baseball that is being played. Doubt Valaika will be able to help translate all the Reds players swaggy ways to Francona. It’s not out of the question that Valaika takes over the manager job before the end of the season
Horrible take. They kept David bell for as a long as they did Terrys got 3 years regardless of result
Y’all gotta quit responding to this clown.
Because ONE season was a lifetime ago…
Pitch clock has changed from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on and the runners lane has been widened. He’s never managed with those changes. Good luck, but that’s not something you just learn on the fly. He’s got a lot of homework to do and not sure he’ll catch up
Ok…
No need to try.
I hear they didn’t have gloves are bats in 2023. It’s a magical world, now.
Also! dont forget the actual bases are bigger now! Franconas gonna get frustrated about that as well.
Absolutely. Francona, who is a two time World Series champ, three time manager of the year, and an all around highly respected in baseball, has the complete inability to make adjustments like a 2 second pitch clock deficit or widened running lane.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Reds are expected to lose 130 games because of this shortcoming.
He was off for 1 season lol.
What a ass hole
It was one year one year after being considered one of the best in the game. You are making it sound like the reds hired Lou piniella at 81 years old and 15 years removed from managing or like the white sox did with larussa. Francona will be fine. It’s not like the changes have been massive like they attached a bungie cord to the ball or steroid injections are mandatory now
Bruh. One year. That’s all. lol.
The Reds tried to hire Skip Schumaker but word is he was scared off by the angry ghost of Pete Rose rumbling down the widened runners lane in GABP.
No, I heard it was actually Marge Schott’s ghost, and all she would say is -Heil Hitler- over & over again, between puffs of a cigarette.
ATL announced they’ve hired Tim Hyers from TEX as their hitting coach. Already a part of 2 WS winners as hitting coach. Not bad.
does Hyers know about the wider running lanes?
Will they hit for a Hyer average?
If he cuts down on the free swingers and ups the contact rate, he will do a lot more than the last bunch.
He did that in Cleveland.
Cleveland hitters are great contact hitters and work counts. If he can get the Reds hitters to do something similar, they’ll be tough outs at the plate. Look at Kwan from the Guardians, pesky plate appearances are his MO.
Isn’t this a lateral move? So Cleveland let him dip?
Anytime the reds replace personal, theres a high probability of an upgrade
Francona already making things happen. Somewhere David Bell is pouting.
I’m sure David bell is content collecting his 2 years of salary that Cincinnati still owes him. I can only hope this coach can teach the reds hitters to make contact instead of trying to hit a home run every at bat.
It’s Do as I say
not as I did
If you can’t do, teach!
Side note: his .238 career MLB average mirrors my MiLB career BA! Hard for me to throw stones…
Gotcha beat Gwynning. Mine was .254 but I probably struck out on that slider away more than you….
Some of the best hitting coaches are guys with not good stats themselves. Charley Lau was considered one of the best at one time and his career was nothing to write home about. Ted Williams got frustrated trying to teach hitting to young players.
That being said, I have told a few that I think the Reds hitting going backwards was in part because some guy named Votto was no longer around to talk to. Veteran presence is more important than anyone realizes.
You’re on to something, TobotR!
But is your career OPS .666? It’s a sign!!!
Cheers buddy
Reds don’t need better hitting coaches, they need better hitters.
How bout develop them then ?
Valaika is a big loss for Cleveland. When he came over from the Cubs, he had the ‘future manager’ label attached.
Having said that, a hitting coach can only work with the material he is given. Valaika arrived in Cleveland, which was full of smallish, athletic players with high contact skills. What he will have in Cincinnati is far different…much bigger power hitters, most of which don’t have solid hit tools.
The Guardians and Reds workout at the same training facility. If you happen to visit during spring training, you will quickly notice a stark difference between the two teams. In football terms, the Guardians look like a junior high team up against the Reds HS varsity.
Valaikas challenge in Cincinnati will be exactly opposite what it was in Cleveland, where he had to teach contact hitters to produce with more power.
As for Francona….lol.
Anybody that thinks that Francona can’t manage, or that a year off makes a difference, is an idiot.
My take: Francona = A
Valaika = C+
I agree ! WAY better than some of their prior grades thou so C+, I’ll take it
Hopefully the Guardos do not let Carl Willis slip away!!!
Related to Pat?
Brothers! Pat is younger by 6 or 7 years