The Arizona Diamondbacks recently hired Joe Mather to be their next hitting coach, marking his second stint with the club. He spent five years in the organization as a coach in the minor leagues prior to his two years (2019-2020) with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was the assistant hitting coach and hitting director.
While he was only the assistant hitting coach for the Reds, their offensive numbers went up significantly in 2020 and 2021. This past season, the Reds scored 786 runs, their most in a season since 2010.
They were in the top 10 among major league teams in batting average, OPS, runs, hits, doubles, and home runs. Compare those numbers to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who, albeit with less firepower, finished in the top 10 in doubles, triples, and most strikeouts. While the Diamondbacks don’t have names like Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker, they do have bats with potential.
Mather was able to work closely with Reds hitting coach Alan Zinter, who has also been with the Reds since the start of 2019. Zinter is a former Diamondback who has been a major league hitting coach since 2014.
Before his time as a coach, Mather was a major leaguer from 2008-2012. He spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs. In 493 career at bats, he hit .219 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs.
Mather’s connection to Arizona goes deeper than his past with the Diamondbacks. He attended Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, and set the school record for career RBI and home runs. That same school also produced major leaguers like CJ Cron, Scott Kingery, Cole Tucker, and a few others.
Mather will be working with many young hitters in 2022 and beyond. The Diamondbacks offense is full of younger talent, with names like Pavin Smith, Carson Kelly, Seth Beer, and others. Like the other new coaches on the staff, Mather will be able to shape some of these young players into potential stars down the line.
Contact the reporter at mgaraffa@asu.edu.
