Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Hire Anthony Iapoce as New Hitting Coach

Iapoce, 45, is no stranger to the team after spending three years as the Special Assistant to the GM for the Cubs organization

The Chicago Cubs on Monday named Anthony Iapoce as their major league hitting coach, replacing Chili Davis after the team struggled offensively in the second half of the regular season.

Iapoce, 45, is no stranger to the team after spending three years as the Special Assistant to the GM for the Cubs organization and overseeing the club's minor league hitting program from 2013-15.

He spent the last three seasons as the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers, where, during his time, they became the first team in big league history to see nine players reach 17 homers in the same season. 

The former outfielder also played 11 seasons in the minor leagues in the Brewers and Marlins organizations. 

Davis, who served in the role for one season with the Cubs, oversaw the offense's transition from one of the league's best into one of baseball's most inconsistent.

The Cubs scored one or fewer runs in 40 games last season. 

As part of a staff shakeup after the 2017 postseason, Davis was hired and former hitting coach John Mallee was let go by the organization. 

Several Cubs players, including Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant, saw regression under Davis' tutelage over the last season, but others, including Javier Baez, took big steps forward. 

As a team, the Cubs had the best batting average in the National League, hitting .258 this season, but their slugging percentage dropped by 27 points and a staggering 56 fewer home runs in the 2018 campaign. 

Their 167 home runs were the worst of any of the five National League playoff teams, and they trailed the league-leading Dodgers by a whopping 68 home runs. 

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