Not hitting much lately? Grab a Snitker.

Not hitting much lately? Grab a Snitker.

You’re not you when you’re slumping and Mets fans know that better than anyone. After too many nights of runners stranded and warning-track fly balls, this lineup has been hungry for something or someone to finally satisfy. Enter Troy Snitker, the new Mets hitting coach, here to feed an offense that’s been living off empty calories.

He’s not a candy bar, though his last name sounds like one. He’s a data-loving, launch-angle-tracking, big-league-bred coach whose résumé stretches from the Astros’ hitting lab to the World Series stage — and whose father, Brian Snitker, just happens to manage the Braves (try not to hold that against him).

Now he’s bringing that sweet mix of modern analytics and old-school baseball sense to Queens, where fans don’t crave sugar — they crave runs. And if Snitker can help turn all that exit velocity into something that actually finds grass, well… maybe, just maybe, Mets fans will finally get to say: Snitker satisfies.

Snitker, came up as a catcher. The Braves drafted him in the 19th round back in 2011, and he spent a couple of years toiling through their minor league system — Rome, Danville, Lynchburg before finishing up independently with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2013. A concussion and the unforgiving grind of the minors ended his playing career early, but Snitker wasn’t about to walk away from the game.

He switched from player to coach and joined the Houston Astros organization in 2016, first as a rehab and hitting coordinator, then as a hitting coach in Class A and Double-A for the Buies Creek Astros and Corpus Christi Hooks. He must’ve made an impression, because in 2019 Houston promoted him to their big-league staff, where he stayed through 2025, riding out the highs, the lows, and even a World Series championship.

And here’s where it gets interesting: while Snitker was learning the ropes as a coach, some of the hitters he worked with in the Astros’ system were learning how to mash and a few of them are doing just fine in the big leagues today. He was around when Kyle Tucker was developing that smooth, balanced power stroke that’s now terrorizing pitchers. He helped shape Myles Straw’s disciplined, contact-first approach that’s kept him in the majors. He was part of the organizational machine that helped turn Yordan Álvarez into one of the most feared left-handed hitters in baseball.

In other words, the line on Snitker isn’t just that he coached in Houston it’s that he helped develop hitters who stuck, hitters who hit, and hitters who bought into an approach that blended data with feel. There’s pedigree. There’s experience.

The résumé looks good, but in this town, the only analytics that matter are runs crossing the plate and RBIs on the board. And make no mistake this hire is as much about David Stearns putting his fingerprints on the Mets as it is about tweaking swings. Stearns inherited a bit of a revolving door in the hitting department: Eric Chavez came over from the Yankees in 2022, moved from hitting coach to bench coach, then back again; Jeremy Barnes was promoted, demoted, and eventually paired with Chavez in a co-hitting setup that felt more like a committee than a direction. By the time Stearns officially took over, the Mets’ offensive philosophy had more personalities than Cybil , constantly changing, sometimes contradictory, and leaving hitters and fans alike wondering which version they’d see on any given day.

Now, with Troy Snitker on board, this feels like Stearns’ first clear swing at establishing a long-term approach one voice, one vision, one philosophy guiding the lineup. Whether that leads to a better team OPS or just fewer stranded runners remains to be seen, but for the first time in a while, there’s a sense that the Mets’ hitting department might actually have a plan instead of a rotation chart.

Baseball is practically the family business for the Snitkers. Troy’s father, Brian, has been a Braves lifer for more than four decades and became their manager in 2017. The two even faced off in the 2021 World Series Brian in the Braves’ dugout, Troy in the Astros’ and in a wonderful full-circle moment, they exchanged lineup cards before Game 3. It doesn’t get much more “Field of Dreams” than that. So yes, the pedigree’s there, and the résumé’s legit. We Mets fans can only hope that pedigree plus experience adds up to “better hitting” and not just “fancier graphs on the dugout tablet.”

Snitker’s hiring brings both excitement and curiosity to Queens. On the bright side, he’s got that championship experience. He knows what a winning clubhouse looks like and smells like (champagne and Gatorade, mostly). He’s also steeped in modern hitting theory. A Houston Chronicle piece once quoted him talking about how bat speed, swing length, and other advanced metrics help fans understand what hitters actually do, not just what their batting averages show. That kind of blend old-school feel with new-school science — could be exactly what the Mets need after finishing sixth in MLB OPS (.753) last season but still struggling to bring home runs (and runners).

He’s also young enough to relate to players without needing a translator for TikTok references. At 36, he’s closer in age to the lineup than most of the coaching staff, which might help him connect in a way some of his predecessors couldn’t. Still, there are questions. The Astros offense, once a machine, sputtered in 2025 and finished 21st in runs scored. Houston didn’t renew Snitker’s contract, which could mean they wanted a new voice or that he’s ready for a fresh challenge. Either way, the Mets hope his system translates from the short porches of Minute Maid Park to the swirling winds of Citi Field.

That’s the million-dollar question: can Snitker’s method heavy on plate discipline, swing efficiency, and data-driven adjustments fit this particular Mets lineup? Houston’s roster was stacked with high-contact, power-balanced hitters. The Mets’ lineup is a different animal some power bats, some swing-happy young players, a few guys who could use a reminder that walking is not a crime. The charts and metrics are all well and good, but the goal is still simple: more runs, more hits, more clutch moments. The Mets were ninth in runs per game last year (4.73), a respectable number that always felt lower when you were watching in the eighth inning with two men stranded.

Troy Snitker’s arrival as the Mets' hitting coach brings a renewed focus on plate discipline and swing mechanics, areas where young hitters like Francisco Álvarez (23), Mark Vientos (25), and Brett Baty (25) have room for growth. In 2024, the MLB average chase rate was 28.5%, with elite hitters often posting rates below 25%. Francisco Alvarez's chase rate in 2025 was 29.4% before his mid-season demotion and 19.9% after he was recalled. His chase rate increased significantly from his 2023 season, which was 26.1%, indicating a trend towards expanding the strike zone; Vientos was the same at 33%, while Baty showed the best plate discipline with a chase of 24.8%, putting him in the 71st percentile among MLB hitters. By refining pitch selection and reducing chase rates, Snitker can help these players become more selective, leading to improved on-base percentages and overall offensive consistency.

When it comes to exit velocity, the league average in 2024 was roughly 89.7 mph. Álvarez posted an average of 93.1 mph, with a maximum of 115 mph, suggesting untapped power potential. Vientos demonstrated a strong profile with an average of 91.4 mph and a max of 110.4 mph, while Baty’s average was 90.7 mph with a max of 115.6 mph, showing solid contact but room for growth in raw power. Snitker’s approach subtle mechanical adjustments in hand position, stride, and timing, tailored individually could help these young hitters make more consistent hard contact and drive up those exit velocities.

The key for the Mets is getting the most out of these “Baby Mets” who aren’t babies anymore. Álvarez, Vientos, and Baty are no longer prospects to be coddled; they’re expected contributors. With Snitker guiding their development, refining swings, and sharpening plate discipline, these young bats could become the backbone of a more potent Mets lineup in 2026.

More than mechanics, though, Snitker might bring a culture shift. The Mets’ offensive identity has been a moving target for years. One week, they’re patient; the next, they’re hacking like it’s a piñata party. A coach who can make analytics feel actionable rather than abstract who can get players to buy in — could stabilize things. Maybe it’s a few extra doubles here, a few more walks there. Over 162 games, those small gains can add up to real wins. Still, patience is key. Change doesn’t happen overnight and I’ve seen enough “new voices” in Mets history to know that spring optimism can fade faster than an ice cream cone at Shea in July.

Troy Snitker’s hiring feels like the kind of smart, forward-thinking move the Mets need more of. He’s young enough to bring fresh ideas, seasoned enough to command respect, and battle-tested enough to know how to reach big leaguers. That’s the “good” part. The “but” is the same as it’s always been no coach can fix everything. The hitters still have to put good swings on pitches, avoid chasing, and come through when it matters most. Snitker’s there to guide them, not perform miracles.

Still, I like the hire. And yes, most of us we probably be muttering from our couch in April, “Hey, Snitker, tell ‘em to stop swinging at sliders in the dirt!” But I’ll be doing it with hope the kind of hope every Mets fan clings to, season after season. Because you can tell when a coach respects the craft, when he understands the grind, and when he’s ready to help hitters become the best versions of themselves. Snitker’s track record says he is that guy. And for a team that’s had its share of offensive droughts, that’s something worth cheering about.

Underneath all the analytics , there’s real admiration here. For a kid who turned a concussion-shortened career into a big-league coaching job. For a man who’s faced his own dad in the World Series and lived to tell the tale. For someone who’s now stepping into the orange-and-blue sea of Mets expectations with calm confidence and a data tablet full of possibilities. If you care about the Mets and if you’ve read this far, you obviously do , you want the hitting machine to hum again. Troy Snitker might just be the mechanic to make it happen.