The Cincinnati Reds have hired Anthony lapoce as their new assistant hitting coach, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The move comes after the Reds announced last month that Will Remilliard would not be retained, creating an opening on the coaching staff.

lapoce has been a big-league hitting coach in the past. He was with the Texas Rangers from 2016 to 2018 and with the Cubs from 2019 to 2021.

Over the last two seasons, lapoce has served as the Houston Astros assistant hitting coach.

lapoce was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 33rd round of the 1994 MLB draft out of Lamar University. He never reached the big leagues, but played nine seasons in the minor leagues. Across nine seasons, lapoce slashed .271/.345/.332 with six home runs and 160 stolen bases in the minor leagues.

Offense Needs to Step Up in 2027

The Reds need their offense to be much better in 2027. Cincinnati finished the 2026 season ranked dead last in Major League Baseball in batting average (.229) and on-base percentage (.305). They also ranked 27th in runs scored (666) and struck out 1,544 times, the second-most in baseball. Despite hitting 213 home runs, they still struggled to score.

“Last year, we came and we added more power," Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "At the end of the day, we were second in home runs [in the NL with 213] and last [in the NL] in runs scored. We need to get on base more, no question. First and foremost, we need to make better contact and get on base more. That’s the most important thing we can do.”

While adding another experienced hitting coach certainly won't fix everything, it's nice to have a fresh voice on the staff.

With that being said, the Reds also need to find a way to add more talent to their roster. They need to find more outfield production and more offensive production at second and third base. Those three spots were all well below average a season ago.

It's an important offseason for the Reds and there is no time to waste.

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