The Phillies have hired Joe Dillon as hitting coach for the 2020 major league coaching staff, the club announced today.

Dillon, 44, most recently served as assistant hitting coach of the Washington Nationals for the past two seasons (2018-19) under hitting coach Kevin Long. Prior to his time with the Nationals, Dillon spent two seasons as the minor league hitting coordinator for the Miami Marlins from 2016-17. His coaching career began with the Nationals as hitting coach for triple-A Syracuse for two seasons (2014-15).

Over the past two seasons with Dillon on staff, the Nationals led the National League in on-base percentage (.338) and ranked second in batting average (.259), runs (1,644), OPS (.775) and walks (1,215). Washington’s 20.7% strikeout rate over the last two seasons was the fifth-lowest in the majors behind only the Houston Astros (18.8%), Pittsburgh Pirates (19.9%), Cleveland Indians (20.3%) and Boston Red Sox (20.6%). Washington’s 9.7% walk rate since 2018 ranks second among all major league clubs behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9.9% mark.

A native of Modesto, Calif., Dillon played parts of four seasons in the majors with the Florida Marlins (2005), Milwaukee Brewers (2007-08) and Tampa Bay Rays (2009). He combined to slash .263/.344/.378 over 137 games in his major league career. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College (CA) before finishing his collegiate career at Texas Tech University. During his senior year he set a Texas Tech record with 33 home runs and was named Big 12 Player of the Year. In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.