The Rockies are shaking things up after a horrible start to the 2025 MLB season.
The franchise fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens on Thursday, replacing him with former manager Clint Hurdle.
Meulens had been Colorado’s hitting coach since 2022 after a brief stint with the Mets in 2020.
“We haven’t produced offensively,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said, per MLB.com. “It’s been a struggle so far. We’re looking to change the voice a little bit here with Clint. And I have nothing but respect for “Bam Bam” [Meulens], his work ethic and his knowledge as a baseball person. I wish him nothing but the best. We just needed to change direction a little bit with the offense to get it going.”
Heading into Thursday’s play, the Rockies ranked dead-last in wRC+ (65) and led the majors with a 29.6 strikeout rate.
Though they play in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the league, the Rockies’ 12 home runs were tied for the second-fewest in baseball this season before Thursday’s action.
“It’s been a struggle from day one with the strikeouts and the lack of production,” Schmidt continued. “We think this move is going to help. Clint is the right person at the right time, with his knowledge with the majority of the position-player group here that he’s worked with in the Minor Leagues. There are just four or five guys he hasn’t been involved with.”
The team will now turn to Hurdle, who spent 2002-09 as the Rockies manager, going 534-625 and leading the franchise to its first and only World Series appearance in 2007.
Before becoming manager, Hurdle served as the Rockies’ hitting coach from 1997-2002.
After his stint in Colorado, Hurdle spent nine seasons as the manager of the Pirates, making the postseason three times.
At 3-15 and riding a six-game losing streak, the Rockies have the worst record in baseball.
Colorado has lost more than 100 games in each of the past two seasons and hasn’t put together a winning campaign since 2018.
Despite another slow start, Bud Black remains the Rockies’ manager, a position he’s held since the 2017 season.
“Buddy’s done a good job — it’s a tough situation going through right now,” Schmidt said. “I think he’s been a positive influence. Our guys come to play hard every day, and that’s what I’m looking at. As I said, I’m looking for the growth to continue to develop, and Buddy is the right person for that. Along with Clint helping [to] get this offense going in the right direction, I think good things are going to happen.”