Mets Hire A.J. Ellis as Strategy Coordinator
New York adds a former Dodgers catcher to its major-league staff while promoting Mariano Duncan to the coaching ranks this offseason.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Baseball
The New York Mets hired A.J. Ellis as a major-league strategy coordinator, a move reported Wednesday. The club also promoted Mariano Duncan to its major-league coaching staff earlier this offseason.
Why it matters
The hires reshape the Mets' big-league coaching group after several staff changes, including the dismissal of hitting director Jeff Albert last month. Team staffing decisions like these shape how the club develops players and prepares for the season ahead.
Ellis played parts of 11 big-league seasons, nine of them with the Dodgers. Duncan played 12 seasons in the majors and won two World Series titles as a player.
The players
A.J. Ellis
Ellis is a former catcher who played parts of 11 big-league seasons, including nine with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mariano Duncan
Duncan is a former infielder who played 12 seasons in the majors and won two World Series championships as a player.
Will Sammon
Sammon is a baseball reporter for The Athletic who first reported the Ellis hire.
The details
Ellis was hired as a major-league strategy coordinator, and the Mets moved on from quality assurance coach Danny Barnes and batting practice pitcher Kevin Mahoney during the same period. Duncan, who previously worked within the Mets' minor-league system, was promoted to the major-league coaching staff earlier this offseason.
Timeline
Last month: Jeff Albert, former major-league hitting director, was dismissed.
Earlier this offseason: Mariano Duncan was promoted to the major-league coaching staff.
November 4, 2026: The Ellis hire was reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
This winter: The Mets are expected to add at least one more big-league coach.
Season Trajectory
Duncan's promotion from the Mets' minor-league system to the major-league staff follows the organization's pattern of developing coaches internally. The Ellis hire, paired with that promotion, signals how the club is rebuilding its big-league coaching group ahead of the next season.
The coaching changes affect which staff members will guide the Mets' hitters and strategy through the season, and fans tracking the roster can follow new names on the big-league staff. The shifts also bring in a former catcher and a World Series winner to the coaching group.
The takeaway
Staff turnover in the offseason often signals where a club plans to focus its development efforts. Watching which coaches move up from the minors can show how the organization is building for the next season.
What happens next
The Mets are expected to add at least one more coach to their big-league staff this winter.
Further reading
For more on the team's moves, see Baseball coverage across the league.
