As the offseason moves along, it's not just players who are switching allegiances and uniforms. It looks like the Philadelphia Phillies lost a piece of their minor league player development team on Wednesday afternoon and to a division rival, no less.
Kevin Mahala, the Phillies minor league upper-level hitting coordinator and development analyst, has taken a new role with the New York Mets, per a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account. He's moving up the ladder to be the Mets' minor league hitting coordinator.
"I'm extremely grateful for the relationships I built and time I spent with the Phillies," Mahala said in his post.
Excited to officially announce my new role as Minor League Hitting Coordinator for the @Mets.
— Kevin Mahala (@mahalaback) November 22, 2023
I'm extremely grateful for the relationships I built and time I spent with the Phillies.
Can't wait for this next chapter! #LGM
A former 18th-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016, Mahala played two seasons in their minor league system, getting as high as High-A. He left the sport for a couple of years after his retirement from playing the game.
He returned to baseball in 2020 when he joined the Phillies as a player information assistant. He held that role for almost two years before spending a year as an offensive development analyst.
Mahala, now 29, took on the upper-level hitting coordinator role last November when the Phillies restructured their minor league player development team. Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), the Phillies hoped to produce more homegrown bats by creating a more cohesive hitting development approach across their minor league system.
As of this time, the Phillies haven't made any announcements about Mahala's leaving or his replacement.