Royals finalize 2023 coaching staff

The Royals announced they have finalized their 2023 coaching staff led by manager Matt Quatraro, who comes over from the Rays. The Royals will return first base coach Damon Hollins and third base coach Vance Wilson, as well as hitting coach Alec Zumwalt and assistant hitting coach Keoni DeRenne.

As previously reported, the Royals have hired Brian Sweeney away from Cleveland to be their pitching coach, with Zach Bove coming over from the Twins to serve as assistant pitching coach and Director of Major League Pitching Strategy. Sweeney had been serving as a bullpen coach in Cleveland and had a reputation for being heavily involved in analytics.

Quatraro will be assisted by bench coach Paul Hoover, who had served with him on the coaching staff at Tampa Bay the last few seasons. Hoover is a former catcher who has worked to improve pitch-framing in the past. Mitch Stetter moves from the front office to become bullpen coach. He had previously served as manager of pitching performance, and has been a minor league coach in the organization for several seasons.

José Alguacil joins the staff as an infield coach after a year with the Nationals. He has nearly two decades of experience as a coach at the minor league and Major League levels, mostly with the Giants. Also joining the Royals coaching staff as a Major League coach is Miguel Garcia. He has served as batting practice pitcher for the Royals and has coached their Dominican Summer League team.

The Major League support staff will return, including Bullpen Catcher, Pitching Strategist Parker Morin, Bullpen Catcher, Hitting Strategist Allan de San Miguel, Pitching Strategist Andy Ferguson, Rehab Coach Ryan Eigsti and Replay Coordinator Bill Duplissea.

The Royals dismissed manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred after last season. Coach John Mabry is also no longer in the organization and bullpen coach Larry Carter has been reassigned elsewhere in the organization. Last spring, the team fired hitting coach Terry Bradshaw to replace him with Zumwalt, DeRenne, and Mike Tosar, but Tosar left to join former Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, who was named manager of the Chicago White Sox.