The Cincinnati Reds have announced the hiring of top coach as their new Director of Hitting and Major League Hitting Coach. He returns to the organization where he began his professional playing career. He spent the past three seasons as the hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians, including two years under manager Terry Francona.
He has had a long path since that draft. He debuted with the Reds in 2010, appearing in 19 games (with one homer) and returned for another 14 games the following season. After becoming a free agent in 2012, he spent time in the majors with the Marlins and Cubs between 2013-2014 before transitioning to coaching.
Valaika has since earned respect as a hitting coach, serving the past three seasons in that role for the Cleveland Guardians, where he worked under then-manager Terry Francona. During his tenure, Cleveland’s strikeout rate from 2022 to 2024 was the lowest across MLB at 19.0%. Given Reds GM Nick Krall’s recent emphasis on reducing strikeouts and shifting toward a line-drive approach after David Bell’s firing, Valaika’s philosophy seems aligned with the Reds’ new goals. He was hired as their new Director of Hitting, taking on an organization-wide role similar to that of Derek Johnson, guiding hitting development throughout the Reds’ farm system and at the MLB level.
His playing tenure with the Reds spanned parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Originally drafted by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2006 MLB Draft, he made his Major League debut with the team. Following his playing days, he transitioned into coaching, bringing valuable on-field experience to his role as a hitting instructor.
This move is part of a broader restructuring of the Reds’ coaching staff under new manager Terry Francona. Earlier in October, the team dismissed hitting coach Joel McKeithan and assistants Terry Bradshaw and Tim LaMonte, signaling a fresh direction for the club’s offensive strategy With Valaika’s addition, the Reds aim to enhance their hitting program and overall team performance in the upcoming seasons.
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