According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets reportedly had strong interest in Cubs hitting coach John Mallee’s services, so many thought he could be on his way out. However, it will not happen.
The Cubs received some good news on the coaching front Monday night. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that Cubs hitting coach John Mallee has withdrawn his name from consideration for a job with the New York Mets.
Coaching news: Cubs hitting coach John Mallee has withdrawn from consideration for a job with the Mets, per a source. He's staying in Chicago.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 26, 2026
John Mallee Sticks With Cubs After Big Year
John Mallee’s return gives the Cubs the stability they need. Although they had their fair share of struggles in both the regular season and playoffs, the Cubs still managed to have an elite offense. Mallee was the hitting coach and won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016. He left the organization and had numerous stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels before returning in 2024.
Last season was arguably Mallee’s best season with the Cubs. Although the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, Mallee helped develop Pete Crow-Armstrong into a superstar MVP. He wasn’t the only one who flourished, as the Cubs' offense scored the most runs in baseball.
Beyond Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, Seyia Suzuki, and others contributed to an elite group. They had the most runs batted in with 804. Their slugging percentage was .428, which was No. 1 in the league. They were also 3rd in home runs with 187 and ranked 6th in batting average with .250. The Cubs look to build on those stats next season, but they still have work to do.
With Mallee, the Cubs need to improve on a key stat if they want to take the next step in their offense: Runners in scoring position. The Cubs scored the most runs in baseball, but they also left too many runners on base. They led the league in that category with 7.66 per game, which ranked 30th overall.
If the Cubs can keep working on that aspect of their game and find the consistency needed, expect them to start making a deep playoff run in the next year or two. You can’t leave runners on base; otherwise, you won’t win games. That’s why the Cubs had two ten-game losing streaks during the season. It cost them an opportunity to win the division and make a deep playoff run. If the Cubs can make those changes with Mallee, then next season could look even better.
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