After weeks of searching, the New York Mets finally have a new hitting coach.

The Mets are reportedly hiring Johnny Washington as a co-hitting coach on Andy Green's staff, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

New York had been looking for a replacement for hitting coordinator Jeff Albert after firing him following one season in the role.

Washington, 42, most recently served as the Atlanta Braves' minor league hitting coordinator in 2026. Before that, he worked at the major-league level under the tutelage of Ron Washington with the Los Angeles Angels.

But perhaps most notably, Washington previously worked in San Diego when Green was managing the Padres. This marks the second hire this week with ties to Green. The Mets also hired former major league catcher A.J. Ellis, who played under Green in 2018, as their major league strategy coordinator.

New York also recently promoted Mariano Duncan to its major league staff after he spent last season as Double-A Binghamton's bench coach.

Why the Mets' latest coaching hire raises questions

While it's difficult to predict what hitting philosophy Washington will bring to New York, the circumstances surrounding his hiring are unusual, given that he's joining as a co-hitting coach rather than in a more prominent role.

The Mets already have hitting coach Troy Snitker and assistant hitting coach Rafael Fernandez, both of whom were retained despite New York's lackluster offensive season. The expectation following Albert's firing was that the Mets would bring in a new voice to oversee the hitting staff rather than add a third coach.

New York reportedly spoke with both the Chicago Cubs' John Mallee and the Philadelphia Phillies' Kevin Long. Both are well-respected throughout the industry and were viewed as strong candidates to lead the Mets' hitting staff, but neither pursuit came to fruition.

With Washington's hiring, it appears the Mets ultimately turned to a familiar voice from Green's time in San Diego after missing out on their top targets.

Having three different hitting coaches in the same clubhouse feels odd. However, it's worth pointing out that the Milwaukee Brewers had four hitting coaches on their major league staff last season. That approach clearly paid off, as Milwaukee captured its first World Series title in franchise history.

The key difference, however, is that the Brewers designated one coach as their lead hitting coach, while the Mets reportedly have no such distinction at this time.

How that plays out for New York is anyone's guess. Regardless, one thing is clear: the Mets can't afford a repeat of last season's offensive struggles.

The Mets ranked in the bottom 10 in several major offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.310), slugging percentage (.396), and runs scored (699). A major contributing factor was the injury-riddled season New York endured, with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto playing in fewer than 60 games together.

Entering next season, with both players back healthy, the Mets offense must be a strength. If the team struggles to produce early, both newcomers like Washington and returning coaches like Snitker could find themselves on the hot seat.