Kevin Long Reunion? Why the Mets Chasing Their 2015 Hitting Coach Makes Sense for Andy Green

Mets fans know the name Kevin Long. He walked into Flushing in the middle of the last decade, helped turn a quiet lineup into one that carried the club to the 2015 National League pennant, and left behind a lot of good memories. Now, according to a report from Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets and Long are talking about a reunion. Nothing is official, but the timing makes it worth paying attention to.

The backdrop is a hitting department in transition. The Mets did not bring back Jeff Albert, who had been the MLB director of hitting, along with quality assurance coach Danny Barnes and batting practice pitcher Kevin Mahoney. All three were cleared to talk to other clubs, and each could land somewhere else in the game. That is a big shake-up after a season that never got where it was supposed to go, and it came right as Andy Green dropped the interim tag and signed on as manager through 2029.

So where does Long fit? Reporting suggests the most natural landing spot is the same job Albert held: director of MLB hitting. That is not a game-day dugout role in the traditional sense. It is more of a big-picture position, shaping how hitters prepare, how the organization teaches a swing philosophy, and how the major league club and the minor leagues speak the same language. If the Mets want a fresh voice leading that department, a veteran with a long track record is an obvious name.

And the track record is hard to ignore. Long was the Yankees hitting coach when they won the 2009 World Series. He had three seasons with the Mets, including that 2015 pennant, the franchise's first in 15 years. Then he was hitting coach for the Nationals when they won the 2019 World Series. Whatever you think of any individual season, a résumé with that many deep October runs tells you he knows what a winning lineup looks like and how to keep hitters steady when pressure rises.

There is a personal angle too. During his time in Washington, Long built a strong relationship with Juan Soto, who is now a Met. Soto is the kind of hitter every coach wants to work with and almost nobody needs to fix, but a trusted voice who already knows his routines and how he thinks at the plate can still be valuable. If the goal is to get the most out of the top of the order for years to come, familiarity helps.

It is also fair to point out what this does not necessarily mean. Troy Snitker, hired by David Stearns last winter, remains the hitting coach, and Rafael Fernandez, the longest-tenured member of the staff, is still in the mix as well. Adding Long in a department-wide role would not automatically push anyone out. It would be about adding experience and a new organizational voice rather than a simple swap. Long was also let go by the Phillies after their NLDS loss to the Braves earlier this month, so the Mets are not the only team that could see him as a fit, which means they will probably have to move with some urgency.

Here is my fan take. After a season that left everyone frustrated, the worst thing the Mets could do is stand still. A proven hitting mind with real history in Queens, real postseason success, and a relationship with their best bat sounds like exactly the type of experienced addition a new manager could lean on. It will not fix everything by itself, because the lineup still needs the right pieces and the pitching questions are not going away. But a smart hitting infrastructure is the kind of quiet move that pays off over 162 games.

We will keep watching for an official announcement. Until then, this is a talk, not a deal. If it happens, though, Mets fans are going to remember the 2015 ride and hope for a few more October nights at Citi Field. What do you think: is Kevin Long the right voice to rebuild the Mets' offense? Let us know in the comments.