Mets set to hire Justin Willard as next pitching coach with tall task ahead

TORONTO — The Mets’ search for a new pitching coach has reached the finish line.

Justin Willard, the Red Sox director of pitching, is set to assume the pitching coach duties with the Mets, an industry Mets’ second-half collapse.

Willard will be charged with resurrecting Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and David Peterson, in particular. All three starters took a nosedive in the second half — a significant factor in the team cratering, culminating with a loss on the final day of the season in Miami that kept the Mets from clinching a National League wild-card berth.

With the Red Sox, Willard worked under pitching coach Andrew Bailey and was credited for bolstering the organization’s infrastructure with the use of new technology. Willard previously served in minor league roles in the Twins organization.

The Athletic first reported that Willard was the front runner for the Mets opening.

The Mets are also set to name a female coach within the organization. According to a source, the club is set to hire Rachel Folden as the hitting coach at Double-A Binghamton. Folden this season was a hitting coach in the Cubs’ minor league system.

Folden, 38, became a consultant for Elite Baseball Training after concluding a fastpitch softball career. Folden’s first foray into professional baseball was with the Cubs in 2019, running the organization’s Arizona hitting lab.

At the major league level, the Mets hired Troy Snitker as a hitting coach. Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes served as the hitting coaches the last two seasons, but both were fired last month with one year remaining on their contracts.

The Mets also hired Kai Correa as bench coach after John Gibbons stepped aside from his duties. The team has not named a third base coach to replace Mike Sarbaugh, whose contract was not renewed.

The Mets are also expected to part ways with first base coach Antoan Richardson, who is a free agent after the two sides couldn’t reach agreement on a new contract.

Richardson was credited with the team’s base-stealing success this season — particularly Juan Soto’s career-high 38 stolen bases.