Bob Melvin’s coaching staff will undergo some changes next year. The Texas Rangers have reportedly hired assistant hitting coach Justin Viele from the San Francisco Giants, as noted by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
SF Giants lose experienced hitting coach to the Texas Rangers
In October, it was announced that veteran pitching coach Bryan Price would be stepping down. The Giants quickly filled his position with J.P. Martinez, who has been part of the coaching staff since 2020, opting for an internal promotion.
The Giants now face the task of replacing Viele, who, like Martinez, joined the team as part of Gabe Kapler’s coaching staff in 2020. Under their guidance, several players, including Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Darin Ruf, experienced notable late-career comebacks.
Donnie Ecker, the primary hitting coach, was often credited by those players for their improvements, while Viele worked more behind the scenes, concentrating on the biomechanics of hitting.
Before his time with the Giants, Viele had a short professional career with the Baltimore Orioles in the early 2010s, ending in 2014. He quickly transitioned into coaching, initially remaining with the Orioles before spending a few seasons as a hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, from where he was later hired by the Giants.
Given the team’s recent struggles at the plate, particularly in situational hitting, Viele became a target for fan criticism. Nevertheless, Kapler built a strong coaching staff, many of whom have moved on to new positions elsewhere. When Bob Melvin took over, he replaced much of the staff, with Viele being one of the few retained.
Viele is set to reunite with Ecker in Texas, who had previously spent two seasons as the Giants’ hitting coach before becoming the Rangers’ bench coach.
Additionally, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero is interviewing for a position with the Miami Marlins, even though the Marlins currently lack a manager. This situation means the Giants will need to fill these coaching vacancies, with Baggarly suggesting Damon Minor as a potential candidate.
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