The New York Mets will soon announce the hiring of Antoan Richardson as the team's first-base coach, according to a report by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Richardson had been the SF Giants first-base coach from 2020-2023, but was not brought back after Bob Melvin replaced Gabe Kapler as the team's manager.
Richardson began his professional baseball career with the Giants organization back in 2005, when he was drafted in 35th round of the draft out of Vanderbilt. Richardson's combination of speed and patient approach at the plate helped him succeed in the lower minor leagues, but a lack of impact power led his performance to decline as he was promoted. After a pair of underwhelming seasons at Double-A, Richardson was released by the Giants in 2009.
Richardson had plenty of left in his playing career, however, playing through the 2016 season with stints in the Dodgers, Pirates, Rangers, Twins, Orioles, Yankees, and Atlanta's organization. He also had two short stints in the majors, one with the Yankees and one with Atlanta. In one of the most historic moments of his career, Richardson scored the walk-off run on Derek Jeter's final plate appearance, which was a walk-off single at Yankee Stadium.
Richardson actually joined the SF Giants coaching ranks prior to Kapler hiring. He became the team's field coordinator and minor league outfield coordinator prior to the 2019 season. Now, with Mark Hallberg replacing him as the team's first-base coach, Antoan Richardson will head to New York, where he will handle first-base coach responsibilities for rookie manager Carlos Mendoza.
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