Peter Fatse, who played for the Florence Freedom in 2012, has been hired as the Philadelphia Phillies' hitting coach.

The Phillies announced the hire on Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to MLB.com.

Fatse is another former Florence Freedom figure coaching in the majors. Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook, who previously coached for the Freedom, helped Milwaukee win its first World Series championship on Oct. 28. We reported on Hook's path Oct. 22.

Fatse's Florence connection dates to the end of his playing career. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 24th round of the 2009 MLB draft, and he spent two seasons in their minor league system, according to MLB.com. He then played independent baseball, first with the Pittsfield Colonials of the Can-Am League in 2011 and then with the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League in 2012, according to his Wikipedia page.

Over four professional seasons, Fatse batted .258 in 329 games with 17 home runs and 170 RBI, according to Wikipedia.

Fatse founded Advanced Performance Academy in Palmer, Massachusetts, according to Wikipedia. The Minnesota Twins hired him as their minor league hitting coordinator in January 2019, and the Boston Red Sox brought him on as assistant hitting coach after that season, according to MLB.com.

Boston promoted Fatse to hitting coach in December 2021. The Red Sox finished among the top six in MLB in batting average in each of his first three full seasons leading the offense, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported. But Boston fired Fatse, manager Alex Cora and other coaches on April 25 after a 10-17 start.

Fatse then joined the Tampa Bay Rays as a hitting consultant, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia, he replaces veteran hitting coach Kevin Long. The Phillies' offense dropped from eighth in MLB in runs scored in 2025 (778) to 19th (713) in 2026, according to MLB.com.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly praised the hire in a team release.

"I am very excited to add Pete to our staff," Mattingly said, according to MLB.com. "He has a track record of being a great communicator who prioritizes collaboration …"

Fatse, 39, played three seasons at the University of Connecticut before entering professional baseball, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. He is from Hampden, Massachusetts.

The Phillies also hired Joe Cronin as an assistant hitting coach and retained Edwar Gonzalez in the same role, according to MLB.com.