Royals GM J.J. Picollo told reporters (including Anne Rogers of MLB.com) after the regular season came to a close that he expected that “most of the [coaching] staff” (including hitting coach Alec Zumwait) will return to Kansas City in 2026. At the time, he acknowledged that there might be some “tweaks” to the staff in hopes of getting the most out of the club’s players. Today, Picollo provided more details on those tweaks when he told Rogers that the Royals won’t renew the contracts of assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon for the 2026 campaign.
DeRenne has been in the Royals organization since 2020 and has spent the past four seasons as the club’s assistant hitting coach. He previously coached in the Cubs and Pirates organizations at the minor league level. Dillon, meanwhile, has been an assistant hitting coach for the Royals in each of the past two seasons and has previously served as an assistant hitting coach for the Nationals and spent two years as the hitting coach for the Phillies in addition to time in the Nationals and Marlins organizations coaching at the minor league level. Picollo praised the pair’s work in Kansas City, telling Rogers that both are “really good, tireless workers” who will “end up in a good spot somewhere in the game.” The duo figure to have plenty of opportunities to catch on somewhere with so many teams changing managers this winter. Many of those new managers will look to make tweaks to their team’s coaching staff, which could benefit coaches like DeRenne and Dillon.
As for the Royals themselves, the departures of their assistant hitting coaches will create an opportunity to bring in fresh voices to complement Zumwait. Kansas City finished the season with a team-wide wRC of just 93, even in spite of strong performances from core pieces like Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, and Bobby Witt Jr. at the place. That’s because much of the club’s supporting cast disappointed in a big way, while some players counted on to be threats high in the batting order like Jonathan India and Jac Caglianone failed to produce. While the Royals might hope that a veteran like India can return to form on his own, a young player like Caglianone could surely benefit from the guidance that new members of the coaching staff could offer.
More from around the league’s coaching staffs…
- Pirates hitting coach Matt Hague is expected to continue in his current role with the club, according to a report from Alex Stumpf of MLB.com earlier today. Hague, 40, spent part of three seasons as a big league player before starting his coaching career in 2020 as a minor league coach with the Blue Jays. He spent the 2024 season with Toronto in the big leagues as an assistant hitting coach, before getting hired away by Pittsburgh last offseason to serve as their primary hitting coach in the majors. Hague’s Pirates were the second-worst team in baseball by wRC+ this year as even well-regarded hitters like Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz took significant steps back at the plate. Even so, he’ll get another opportunity to guide the team’s offense in 2026, and with improving the lineup being a top priority for the Pirates this season he’ll hopefully have more talent to work with on the field next year.
- The Diamondbacks are expecting to retain their 2025 coaching staff for next season, manager Torey Lovullo told Dave Burns and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports last week. Lovullo left the door open for some roles on the coaching staff to change even as the entire group is retained for the 2026 campaign, though he suggested that coaches will generally remain in their same role they had this season. While the Diamondbacks disappointed with an 80-82 record this year, it’s hard not to see how injuries to key players like Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, and Justin Martinez wound up significantly impacting the team for the worse, and it’s not impossible to imagine that the club could have squeaked its way into the postseason had core pieces like Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, and Merrill Kelly not been traded at this year’s deadline. Evidently, that’s enough for Lovullo and GM Mike Hazen to feel comfortable sticking with their current staff for at least one more year.
Pirates were 4th in pitcher fWAR and and 28th in batter fWAR, but fired the pitching coach and kept the hitting coach. The optics of that are not great!
The Pirates did NOT fire either of the pitching coaches, Marin opted to not return at the end of the season, and Brent Strom notified the front office 6 weeks earlier that he was not going to return.
This I didn’t know (been under a rock for a bit) but kinda figured. Thanks for the info. Can’t blame either of them tbh.
If you have guys who can’t hit, a batting coach can only do so much, especially at the big league level.
A hitting coach is the most frequently fired of all coaches. All fans everywhere complain constantly about their hitting coaches.
Evidently Hague gets some guys to listen, Triolo for example
A lot of time the message is the same it is just how it is delivered or if they listen. That goes for hitting or pitching coaches.
Some insist you follow their theories even if it is not best for them.
not true david
he wasn’t fired, his contract wasn’t renewed
In addition, I read in several articles that it was the pitchers own evaluation of him precipitated the decision not to renew his contract
Realistically, there’s only like 3 guys on this team that have the potential to be good hitters next year: Horwitz, Cruz, and Reynolds. Gonzales might have more in the tank, though right now, I’m not expecting much more than an Adam Frazier type. Triolo showed some promise down the stretch. But it was also like the 3rd year in a row he had a good August or September (though this season’s hot streak to end the year was probably the most promising).
Typical cherrington move
Dbacks, let’s run them back, finding a little more pitching, play the whole year like they did at the end of 2023 and 2025, with speed, defense, and excitement. Their young core players are championship caliber players, as seen when they were on the big stage. I’d like to see Blaze and Lawler emerge, contributing even more over a season. I’d like to see another young starter emerge. I’d like to see more bullpen consistency.
I’d like to see Hazen acquire a back end bullpen arm or two that’s not a fixer upper/budget option
Gonzalez is too much of a free swinger at the plate
India disappointed, but Caglianone may need to return to AA.
I also read that Hague will most likely move to another coaching position and that the Pirates will hire a new hitting coach
Of course, the D’Back management is going to bring back Lovello’s coaching staff for one more year, ownership really did not give Lovello a vote of confidence at the end of this season, if they did, they would have attached an additional year on his contract, instead of making him a lame duck manager for 2026. He’ll start ST already on the hot seat. Why hire another coaching staff for one season then have to let them go after you bring in a new manager for 2027. I see a new D’Back manager and coaching staff after the 2026 season. I believe the handwriting is already on the wall for Lovello, no matter what the results are next season.
Even if they have good playoff run?
I believe so, D’Backs went for it in 2025 injuries, early season loses, and some questionable manager decisions resulting in lost game that should have been wins. In 2026 the D’Backs will be competitive but as far as a playoff run, can’t really see it some of the main players are not going to be available until August or September. So, the D’Backs will be lucky to be playing 500 by the All-Star break, ownership already said that payroll will be slashed, and more room on the ML roster for some prospects. So yes, I would say Lovello is a lame duck manager that will be let go after 2026.
By playoff run I actually meant go deep into the postseason. I do think it’s unlikely but if they make it past the wild card I think Tory comes back.
Lets have the worst offensive team keep the hitting coach. Seems legit.
These are the type of decisions that make one understand that the decision making is as bad if not worse than the low budget.
I say this and watch 2026 they’ll have a top 20 offense.. i hope that happens but don’t think it will.
“Meanwhile” has to START the sentence. Not come in the middle between commas.