Washington coach, who liked sweet and sour, joined Kim Ha-sung as a teammate → ATL batting instructor

*This content was translated by AI.

Former Hanwha Eagles batting coach Johnny Washington (42), well-known to domestic baseball fans as "sour and sweet coach," will join the Atlanta Braves in the 2026 season. In particular, with this appointment, Kim Ha-sung (31), who will serve as a key infielder in the team, will be in the same team.

Reporter Sam Blum, a reporter in charge of the Los Angeles Angels for the U.S. sports media The Athletic, said on his SNS on the afternoon of the 15th (Korea time), "Coach Johnny Washington will be appointed as Atlanta's minor league batting coordinator. He previously served as the Angels batting coach in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and previously worked as a batting coach for the San Diego Padres, he quoted a source as saying.

Coach Johnny Washington formed a relationship with South Korea in 2021 when he took over as batting coach for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League. Carlos Subero (54) came to Korea at the call of former Hanwha manager. At the time, he drew great attention as he was seen fascinated by the Korean snack "Sweet and Sweet" as well as his leadership to boost the potential of young batters. He was so sincere to Korean culture and fans that he picked "a box of sweet and sour" as the most memorable birthday present he received from fans.

He also contributed to the development of Hanwha batters' skills. Above all, he was the leader who emphasized his understanding of the strike zone the most. In fact, Noh Si-hwan said about the Washington coach's teaching at the beginning of the 2021 season, "They say to look at the middle and only hit the ball that they are aiming for. It is said to boldly throw away the ball to be thrown away. As a result, there were many walks and the number of strikeouts decreased. I think it's helpful to make my own zone clear and then hit it," he said. The Washington coach also said that he spoke English at first and then continued to shout the Korean "center" in the dugout. Thanks to his guidance, Noh Si-hwan, Ha Joo-seok, and Kim Tae-yeon are currently Hanwha's main hitters.

Washington coach, who showed off his ability, said goodbye to Hanwha after being called by another major league club. Washington coach shed tears in front of his friendly players as he left as assistant hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs. Since then, he has built a solid career as a leader while serving as a hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels Major League. Ahead of the 2026 season, he was appointed as Atlanta's batting instructor. However, since he belongs to the minor league, he is not expected to bump into Kim Ha-sung often.

Major League Trade Rumors, a local media outlet that mainly deals with players' movements, said, "Washington is a veteran coach who has played various roles. Played for the Angels in the previous season. The Angels were 27th in the league in scoring for two seasons. However, he ranked fourth overall in the league with 226 team home runs in the 2025 season.

Although the position is a minor league coordinator, the addition of Washington coach is a positive sign for Kim Ha-sung as well. The Washington coach is a leader who has emphasized "on base" and "setting my own zone" while respecting individual players' mechanisms since San Diego. For Kim Ha-sung, who struggled to control his batting condition in the aftermath of his injury last season, the existence of a Washington coach who understands the characteristics of the KBO league well and communicates well is expected to gain great psychological stability.

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*This content was translated by AI.