Cincinnati Reds hire Anthony Iapoce as assistant hitting coach

The Cincinnati Reds rounded out their coaching staff this week with the hiring of veteran hitting coach Anthony Iapoce as the new assistant hitting coach. This move creates a reunion of Iapoce and Reds head hitting coach Chris Valaika, as Valaika was an assistant to Iapoce in their only previous year coaching together, 2021 with the Chicago Cubs.

Iapoce most recently worked as the Astros' assistant hitting coach last season, after spending two seasons as the Tigers' first base coach. A 1994 draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, Iapoce spent nine seasons as a minor-league outfielder, achieving Triple-A status in both the Brewers and Marlins systems. He produced a career .345 on-base percentage and recorded 168 stolen bases.

This hiring comes less than a week after the Reds hired Cleveland Guardians assistant pitching coach Joe Torres as their new head pitching coach. Team president Nick Krall stated that the team is still finalizing specific roles for some of the staff, including the two other pitching coaches under Torres: Matt Tracy and Oscar Marin.