The Dodgers announced their minor league coaching staffs this afternoon. Zach Reks, who played last year in Double-A with the Padres, has been hired as a hitting coach with L.A.’s Arizona Complex League affiliate.
It appears he’s retiring as a player at age 31. Reks played in the big leagues with the Dodgers and Rangers between 2021-22. He hit .205/.205/.227 in 22 games. The lefty-hitting outfielder appeared with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2023. Reks returned to affiliated ball on a minor league contract with San Diego last offseason. He slumped to a .127 batting average in 64 Double-A contests.
While that’s a tough end to his playing days, Reks was a good minor league hitter. He posted a .276/.372/.459 line in nearly 1800 minor league plate appearances. That includes a .290/.388/.537 slash over 902 trips to the plate in Triple-A. MLBTR congratulates Reks on reaching the big leagues and wishes him the best in his coaching career.
teach them how to rek the ball .. i’ll see myself out
Doesn’t seem like the most knowledgeable hitting instructor!
The Dodgers ML hitting coach topped out as a 4th OF in Jr. College. He’s transformed several big league hitters approaches. This guy hit.290 in his AAA career. Not too shabby.
Those who can’t do, teach
I know it’s just a thoughtless cliche but:
Sometimes people who truly excel at somethin are useless in teaching others in same subject.
Other side of the coin, sometimes the best managers/coaches are typically not retired all stars.
A lot of really good hitters don’t know how to coach it
Talent and knowledge don’t always go hand in hand
@Dropped
“Talent and knowledge don’t always go hand in hand.”
Could apply to Princess Yucki.
The ability to teach is a talent.
I wonder if he’ll teach them that strikeouts have become worse than doubleplays. Supposedly the “best players in the game”, Ohtani and Judge, struck out almost 200 times last year and is one reason I’d tune out the World Series this year if it’s just a re-run of last year’s World Series.
@Yucki
Why do you bother to get out of bed?
They are the best players in the game.
If they struck out they likely grounded into fewer double plays.
I’ll be sure to note your World Series tune out.
One thing is likely. Like last season, it’s doubtful we’ll see Yucki’s team in the postseason, let alone the Series. Unless there is a postseason for whiners.
Good signing. His background makes him uniquely qualified to teach younger players not just how to succeed, but how to adapt and overcome challenges when things don’t go according to plan—an increasingly essential skill for the next generation of MLB talent.
Why? He couldn’t hit. Should he be instructing others how to hit?