Carl Willis Returning to Indians As Pitching Coach

Carl Willis is headed back to Cleveland.

Carl Willis Indians coach

Willis, 56, will replace Mickey Callaway as the Indians’ pitching coach. Callaway is now the New York Mets’ manager.

Willis has spent the past two seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He first served as Cleveland’s pitching coach from 2003-09, when he mentored Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, among others.

The Indians led MLB in ERA this year for the first time since 1954. In the AL, they had the best ERA among starters and relievers, while the Red Sox finished second and had 11 shutouts.

Willis has been a pitching coach for 14 seasons. He worked in Seattle from 2010-13 before joining the Indians as a special assistant in 2014. He was the pitching coach at Triple-A Columbus in 2015 before he ended up in Boston.

Cleveland’s top starter, right-hander Corey Kluber, is projected to win his second Cy Young Award this offseason after taking 18 victories.

Tribe pitchers also set an MLB record for strikeouts this year, while walking the fewest batters in the AL.

The Indians lost to the New York Yankees in five games in the AL Division Series.

BOSTON, MA – JUNE 15: Carl Willis, the pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox, confers with Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on June 15, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)