[Official] 'Praised Moon Dong-ju → Helped Noh Si-hwan Grow': Former Hanwha Coaches Rosado and Washington Reunite with New York Mets After Five Years

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Two foreign coaches who worked alongside Manager Carlos Suviero (54) of the Hanwha Eagles have reunited five years later with the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).

U.S. New York-based media outlet SNY reported on the 6th (Korean time), "The Mets are signing Johnny Washington (42) as co-hitting coach."

Coach Washington will be in charge of the Mets' lineup for the 2027 season alongside existing hitting coach Troy Snider and assistant hitting coach Rafael Fernandez. He will also reunite with new manager Andy Green (49). The two have prior experience working together with the San Diego Padres from 2017 to 2019. SNY predicted, "Coach Washington will help turn around the Mets' lineup, which remained in the lower tier in most offensive metrics last year."

Coach Washington is also a familiar name to fans of Korean KBO League baseball. Having spent one season as Hanwha's hitting coach in 2021, Coach Washington was a leader who emphasized having batters focus on "their own strike zone." A representative player who grew under his guidance is national team third baseman Noh Si-hwan (26). At the time, Noh Si-hwan explained about Washington's coaching, "He tells us to hit only pitches we aim for in the middle. He tells us to decisively let go of pitches we should pass on."

During his time with Hanwha, Coach Washington was also a leader who actively communicated with players, shouting "middle" in Korean from the dugout. When leaving Hanwha, he said, "They gave me and my family truly the best experience," adding, "I will shout 'middle' for your victories even in the U.S.," shedding tears in front of the team.

His evaluation as a leader has been consistent in the U.S. as well. Immediately after leaving Hanwha, Coach Washington spent the 2022–2023 seasons as an assistant hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs, and served as hitting coach for the LA Angels from 2024 to 2025. This year, he worked as a minor league hitting coordinator for the Atlanta Braves.

In particular, local U.S. media frequently mention his connection with Cody Bellinger (31, New York Yankees), the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and 2019 National League MVP. Coach Washington coached Bellinger during his time in the LA Dodgers' minor leagues and maintained their relationship afterward. Bellinger has expressed high trust in Washington, calling him "someone who has known me since I was 17 or 18."

The Mets already have a familiar name. Jose Rosado (52), who served as Hanwha's pitching coach from 2021 until May 2023, is currently working as the Mets' bullpen coach. The two were coaches who led Hanwha's rebuilding alongside Manager Suviero.

Coach Rosado also quickly established himself as a major league leader after leaving Hanwha. In particular, having taken over as the Mets' bullpen coach in 2024, he has maintained his position despite the team making multiple coaching staff changes in recent years, earning trust locally.

During his time with Hanwha, he built special connections with young power pitchers. He highly praised "National Team Ace" Moon Dong-ju (23) after watching his first bullpen session as a rookie in 2022, stating, "It was a pitching that made me realize why this player was the first overall pick. He already has the ability to pitch in the first division." After receiving the Rookie of the Year award in 2023, Moon Dong-ju directly expressed his gratitude to Manager Suviero and Coach Rosado in his acceptance speech.

He also had a special relationship with Kim Seo-hyun (22). Coach Rosado poured affection into Kim Seo-hyun, including teaching him the sweeper pitch. Immediately after Manager Suviero and Coach Rosado left Hanwha in 2023, Kim Seo-hyun made headlines by personally embroidering the jersey numbers "3" and "70" of the two on his mound before recording his first career save.

The two coaches who were present during the growth period of current Hanwha key players such as Moon Dong-ju, Noh Si-hwan, and Kim Seo-hyun will now lead the Mets' revival in New York once again.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original