NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets are hiring Kai Correa as bench coach and promoting Jeff Albert to oversee their major league hitting program, the team announced Wednesday.
Correa and Albert are the first replacements after the Mets elected to overhaul manager Carlos Mendoza's coaching staff in the wake of a disappointing 83-79 season that ended without a playoff berth.
The 37-year-old Correa, born in Hawaii, spent the past two seasons as the Cleveland Guardians' major league field coordinator. Added to his title this year was director of defense, strategy and baserunning.
Before that, Correa was San Francisco's bench coach from 2020-23 and served as interim manager for three games after the Giants fired skipper Gabe Kapler in September 2023.
Correa replaces John Gibbons, who resigned as Mendoza's bench coach after the season.
Albert, who turns 45 on Halloween, was the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach from 2019-22. He spent the past three seasons as the Mets' director of hitting development and now will assume a prominent role with the big league club.
New York announced Oct. 3 that hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez won't return in 2026, along with several other members of Mendoza's staff.
The team still needs to replace pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and catching coach Glenn Sherlock, who retired.
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FILE - San Francisco Giants interim manager Kai Correa speaks to reporters before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is underway, with Formula 1 title rivals Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all fighting for the title on Sunday.
Verstappen started from pole position for Red Bull with McLaren driver Norris on the front row beside him and his McLaren teammate Piastri third on the grid.
The thrilling three-way battle will be decided at the Yas Marina Circuit. Norris was 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri heading into the race.
Norris will win the title if he’s on the podium in Abu Dhabi. Even if Verstappen wins, the Dutchman needs Norris to be fourth or lower. If Piastri wins, he requires Norris to finish outside the top five.
Verstappen is aiming for his fifth straight F1 title while Norris and Piastri are chasing their first. All three have won seven races this season.
Pole position is crucial on the 58-lap circuit in Abu Dhabi, where overtaking is hard. Every driver has won from pole since 2015.
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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, center, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands attend the drivers parade ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia watches his team mate Lando Norris of Britain speak to media before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands talk before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
