Scarborough native Joe Cronin named Phillies assistant hitting coach

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies named Peter Fatse their hitting coach on Tuesday and hired Joe Cronin as assistant hitting coach. Edwar Gonzalez will remain on the Phillies’ staff as an assistant hitting coach.

Fatse and Cronin, a Scarborough native, were fired along with three other coaches and manager Alex Cora by the Boston Red Sox in April. Fatse was served as the Red Sox hitting coach for parts of five seasons from 2022-2026.

Cronin, who joined the Red Sox organization in 2021, was the team’s major league hitting strategy coach. He starred at Scarborough High and then Boston College before spending four seasons playing in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Related

‘Sad to leave Boston’: Mainer Joe Cronin discusses Red Sox dismissal

After being released by the Twins in 2020, Cronin joined the Red Sox as a player development intern in 2021. He became a development coach for the Greenville Drive (Boston’s Single-A minor league affiliate), then joined the major league team as a clubhouse analyst in 2023. Last season, he became Boston’s hitting strategy coach.

Fatse most recently worked as a hitting consultant for the Tampa Bay Rays, a role he began in June.

Fatse replaces Kevin Long, who was fired at the end of the season. The Phillies reached the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season but were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series.

“I am very excited to add Pete to our staff,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said. “He has a track record of being a great communicator who prioritizes collaboration, and we truly feel that with his skillset and approach, he is a great fit for the organization.”

Copy the Story Link