The New York Mets finalized their coaching roster for 2026 on Wednesday, implementing significant personnel changes after their disappointing 83-79 2025 campaign, in which they missed the playoffs. Third-year manager Carlos Mendoza returns to lead the team, while the organization has introduced several new faces and promoted prominent internal candidates to improve its staff.
Among the returning members is bullpen coach Jose Rosado, who will begin his third season with Mendoza. New York promoted Rafael Fernandez, previously an assistant and left-handed batting practice pitcher, to assistant hitting coach, while Danny Barnes continues as quality assurance coach, overseeing scouting and pitching support. Bench coach Kai Correa and director of major-league hitting Jeff Albert had been named earlier.
The new additions at the major-league level include hitting coach Troy Snitker, pitching coach Justin Willard, first base and outfield coach Gilbert Gomez, third base and infield coach Tim Leiper, assistant pitching coach Dan McKinney, and catching coach J.P. Arencibia.
Snitker, 36, joins from the Houston Astros after seven years as a hitting coach, bringing extensive experience from both their major-league and minor-league systems.
Willard, 35, previously served as the Boston Red Sox director of pitching and spent six years with the Minnesota Twins in various pitching roles, including minor league pitching coordinator. He replaces Jeremy Hefner, who spent six seasons with the Mets before moving to Atlanta.
McKinney, 31, steps up from Double-A Binghamton, where his staff led the league with a 2.96 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2025. He previously coached at High-A Brooklyn and Single-A St. Lucie, helping develop notable young arms such as Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat.
Gomez, 33, takes over as first base and outfield coach after managing the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to the South Atlantic League championship with a 72-59 record and a perfect 4-0 playoff run. He also managed Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League and served as a hitting and third base coach for the Dominican Republic national team, which won bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Leiper, 59, brings ample experience to the third base and infield role, including two seasons with the San Diego Padres, prior assignments with the San Francisco Giants as outfield and baserunning coordinator, and five years with the Toronto Blue Jays as first base coach and senior advisor in player development.
Arencibia, 39, a former major-league catcher with the Blue Jays, Rangers, and Rays, assumes the catching coach role after three years as bench coach and assistant hitting coach at Triple-A Syracuse. Arencibia’s coaching enabled Francisco Alvarez to recover his offensive and defensive performance after a midseason demotion to Triple-A in 2025.
Having finalized the coaching lineup, the Mets can concentrate on preparing a strong roster for 2026.
