Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Red Sox Coach Could Be In Jeopardy After Up-And-Down Season: Insider

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 7:58 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox may have had a "successful" 2025 season in the eyes of most, but there are still major improvements to be made.

This was a group that struck out far too often, made too many errors in critical moments, failed to come through in extra-inning situations, and with runners in scoring position, and the list unfortunately goes on. Some issues are attributable to a young team taking the next step, but they've got to be cleaned up however necessary.

As the Red Sox evaluate their full process headed into a 2026 campaign with high expectations, is anyone in the organization in danger of losing their job?

Could Red Sox fire hitting coach?

On Friday, Sean McAdam of MassLive suggested that if anyone on the coaching staff might not be back, it would be hitting coach Pete Fatse.

"The one question mark could be hitting coach Pete Fatse, who might become the fall guy for the high strikeout totals and the team’s season-long struggles with runners in scoring position," McAdam wrote.

Fatse, a former minor-league outfielder, has been with the Red Sox for six seasons and the hitting coach for the last five. The roster has been a revolving door for much of his time in the organization, but it's worth noting that strikeouts have become a problem over the last two years.

Boston had the eighth-most strikeouts in baseball this past season (1,419), and the third-most in 2024. The two years before, they ranked 18th and 17th.

It's always a push-pull between holding coaches responsible for issues with the roster versus acknowledging that the roster may not have been built sustainably enough for success that year. Plus, the Red Sox had injuries to contend with, which shouldn't be an excuse for not winning a championship, but it did force players who may not have belonged in the lineup into bigger roles.

So will Fatse be back in 2026? That's a question for Craig Breslow and Alex Cora, but McAdam's notion that he could be in trouble is cause for at least mild concern.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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