Cubs add assistant hitting coach to staff

CHICAGO -- The Cubs have finalized their reorganized Major League hitting coach tandem.

On Monday, the North Siders announced the hiring of Johnny Washington as the club's new assistant hitting coach. He will team with new hitting coach Greg Brown, who was hired away from the Rays' coaching ranks on Nov. 9.

The duo of Brown and Washington assume the roles held last year by Anthony Iapoce and Chris Valaika, respectively. Iapoce and the Cubs had a mutual parting of ways after the '21 season, while Valaika was hired by the Cleveland Guardians to be their new hitting coach.

Brown and Washington join assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos as new parts to manager David Ross' staff.

There is familiarity with Washington on Ross' staff, too. Washington was a part of the Padres' MLB coaching group from '17-19, when current Cubs bench coach Andy Green served as San Diego's manager.

This past season, the 37-year-old Washington worked as a hitting coach for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO, where he helped the club improve its walk rate to 11.6 percent in '21 compared to 8.4 percent in '20.

Prior to last year, Washington was the director of Minor League hitting for the Padres, following his three-season run on Green's staff (first-base coach in '17, assistant hitting coach in '18 and hitting coach in '19). Washington was the Padres' Double-A hitting coach in '16 after working in the Dodgers' system for seven years.