A pair of former Mets coaches have found a new home in Atlanta.
The Braves announced on Wednesday that they have hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach and Antoan Richardson as first base coach.
Hefner, who pitched for the Mets in 2012 and 2013, was hired to be the team's pitching coach in December 2019. Hefner was not retained following a 2025 season in which the Mets saw their starters fail to give them consistent length, while the bullpen had issues when it came to building the bridge to Edwin Diaz.
Richardson, who joined the Mets when Carlos Mendoza was hired after the 2023 season, was lauded for his work with Mets baserunners, particularly during the 2025 season when he helped the club tie a major league record with 39 stolen bases in a row without getting caught. He also worked closely with Juan Soto, who stole a career-high 38 bases and nearly had a 40/40 season.
As a team last year, the Mets stole 147 bases, the fifth most in baseball, and were caught just 18 times, the second fewest of any team.
The Mets had interest in retaining Richardson to coach first base, but he and the club could not agree to terms on a new deal, leading to his departure from the organization.
According to SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino, there was 'no world' in which the Mets were going to be able to retain him, though they "tried hard."
