The Angels are hiring Brady Anderson as hitting coach and John Mabry as an assistant hitting coach, relays Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. A three-time All-Star who played 15 seasons in the majors, Anderson gets his first major league coaching position.
Anderson, 61, spent 14 years with the Orioles. He’s best known for his 50-homer season in 1996 but was consistently a very good player from 1992-99. He hit 210 career homers with a .256/.362/.425 batting line in more than 1800 games. Anderson recorded 1661 hits and stole 315 bases.
A little over a decade after his playing career concluded, Anderson was hired as Baltimore’s vice president of baseball operations. He held that position from 2013-19 until stepping down after one season under Mike Elias. Anderson had played a significant front office role under prior GM Dan Duquette but reportedly had a different vision from the one Elias brought to the front office. Anderson has not worked in affiliated ball since moving on from the Orioles.
That makes it important to have an experienced voice as his assistant. The 55-year-old Mabry certainly qualifies. He has worked on MLB staffs dating back to 2012 after a 14-year big league playing career. Mabry has been a lead hitting coach with the Cardinals and Marlins and spent the ’25 season on Brandon Hyde’s staff in Baltimore as a senior advisor.
Anderson and Mabry will work with an offense that finished 25th in scoring this year. The Halos had an MLB-high 27.1% strikeout rate and a .225 batting average that was worst in the league. Their .298 on-base percentage was better only than those of the Rockies and Guardians, while they were middle of the pack in slugging. The Angels had the fourth-most home runs in MLB — trailing only the Yankees, Dodgers and Mariners — but were too reliant on right-handed power bats with limited on-base skills. They traded Taylor Ward, who’s coming off a career-high 36 home runs, to roll the dice on a Grayson Rodriguez upside play in the rotation.
Kurt Suzuki is headed into his first season as a big league manager. They’ve added veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux and former manager John Gibbons as bench coach. Base coaches Adam Eaton and Keith Johnson, catching coach Max Stassi, and infield coach Andy Schatzley have also signed on. The Angels have yet to finalize the staff.
Lesson #1: Grow 90210 sideburns.
Lesson #2: Unexpected levels of ‘roid use out of nowhere.
I can’t believe that I just read Brady Anderson is 61 years old.
I stopped and stared at his age for a couple seconds too.
This may be partly due to Anderson not producing all-star type production until his age 28 season.
If you hit 50+ homers in any given year during the 90s, you’re automatically a steroids suspect. Unless your name is Ken Griffey Jr.
…especially when you’d never hit more than 21 before and never hit more than 24 after.
Based on this logic, that means he only used steroids for one season. And any player that ever had any fluctuation in their home run totals must’ve been on steroids then too then.
Corin – And he hit the 50 homers at Age 32, another major red flag.
Brady was really tight with Palmeiro, what a surprise.
Bonds top HR season age 36
Aaron top HR season age 37
The 60s were a different animal and Bond too PEDs
Bean – I agree Barry’s ridiculous one-year spike from 30-49 homeruns to 73 was an obvious red flag, but why are you painting Hank with the same brush? There’s no way he was on PED’s.
Hank’s career high of 47 homers at Age 37 was right in line with his Age 23, 28, 29, 32 and 35 seasons when he hit between 44-45 homers each of those seasons. That shows amazing consistency.
Bonds had an outlier similar to Anderson. It can’t simply be said “mUh rOIdZ.”
More excuses. PEDs dont hit baseballs
If you understand baseball in the 6Os, nothing done after 69 is in outlier.
They don’t hit baseball? Seriously? Oh my God, what an ignorant comment.
The mound didnt make a difference to Aaron and 71 allowed time for things to shake our.
Anderson has a difference of 26 HR between his best and second-best seasons.
Roger Maris’ best season was 61, second-best was 39, a difference of 22.
They really don’t. Long time steroid user here. The biggest effect on a baseball player would be the reduced cortisol levels for the grind of 162 games. If used correctly you really should not go longer then 10 weeks at a time and let your body get back to normal production. I have always wondered if players used all season long. Would be detrimental for that long of term operations of the body.
The narrative on steroids is too established now for anything like common sense to be allowed to make an impact. Steroids instantly turn you into a HR mashing superhero without any other input
gbs – That’s a great point. He was before my time, so I can’t provide much information except the fact Roger missed a lot of games because of injuries throughout the years and my understanding is, like Tony C, he was destined for greatness but those injuries held him back and cut short his career.
The 39 came in 1960 at Age 25, the 61 came in 1961 at Age 26 which is generally considered to be around every player’s prime. He missed only one game in 1961 so obviously he was healthy that year. Hitting in front of Mantle certainly helped too.
I’m not gonna speculate as to whether he took something in 1961 (PED’s existed back then too) but I can say with certainty for the remainder of his career he averaged just 103 games which obviously played a big part in his reduced production.
You could take any legal drug you wanted in 61.
To me it’s about cheating to gain an unfair advantage, not about PEDs.
Do whatever you want, as long as it’s within the rules.
He’s not saying Hank was on PEDs. He’s just giving an example of another guy who’s best HR season came late in his career.
And Davey Johnson hit 43 in 1973. I think 18 was his next best home run total.
You also have to consider 1961 was an expansion year so Maris was batting off of pitchers that otherwise would have been in the Minor Leagues with the addition of the Twins and Angels
I’m saying the 60’s were a different animal. The 60s were the outlier, things done outside of 64 through 68 were not.
Hank – Why are you ignoring the fact I pointed out FIVE other seasons where he came within 2 or 3 HR of his career high?
You of all people with your handle should have known how consistent he was. Lumping him in with Brady is insane and insulting as hell to Aaron!
Not if you’d seen him in HS & college … & now, Fever. He was a late bloomer. Weighed about 150 his freshmen year at UCI. As a Bosox fan, you may know he wasn’t really developed as a man until High-A. Put together his first MLB all-star season at 28. I always thought he would play into his forties. As an Orioles VP at 50, he’d have been among the fastest players on the team. As O’s fans know, his best friend in baseball is Cal Ripken. Never drank, smoked, was maniacal about his diet & the last one out of the ballpark due to his workouts after the game. How do you think you know he’s tight with Palmiero?
tmill – I watched him at AA New Britain, didn’t follow him prior to that.
Yes MLB debut shortly after turning 24, not Jim Morris late though.
Nomar and Clemens also publicly had very clean, healthy lifestyles so you can’t really assume what’s going on behind closed doors.
Are you familiar with the time Anderson was diagnosed with appendicitis, and doctors recommended immediate surgery but Brady refused the surgery, missed only 4 games and then continued playing? The media asked Palmeiro about it and his answer revealed he had intimate knowledge of the situation.
It’s not uncommon for a player to have surprising success and a teammate asking him what’s his secret.
I was gonna say Greg Vaughn, but then I remembered the Mitchell report…
Or the Big Hurt Frank Thomas!
Griffey could have been on them, too. The majority of hitters were using them.
Speaking of steroids , was it ever proven beyond a reasonable doubt if Mike Piazza was a steroid user or not? And if he is seen that way, does that explain his total disappearance (that I know of) from the baseball scene??? Since he retired I don’t think I’ve heard one peep out of that guy.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b: Some guys, especially the more famous ones, want to get as far away from the game as possible.
But Piazza has made numerous appearances at Citi Field for number retirement and Mets Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
It is strongly believed Piazza took PEDs, and there were unarmed sources in his clubhouse who shared that information.
But beyond accusations and rumors, there was never any real evidence.
Halo – He had severe back acne only when he was mashing, that was real evidence. You don’t suddenly get it and then it suddenly disappears.
Fever Pitch Guy: But acne can have any number of causes and doesn’t prove anything by itself.
Workout benches are known to help cultivate backne
How many retire players do you really hear about other than A-Fraud,,Jeter, Big Papi that are not commentators on network TV?
I don’t know, I was a lot younger then…but the impression I have is that Piazza was a hugely popular player and fans seemed to love him. And he put up huge numbers. Then whoosh he was gone.
For PEDS / Steroids how about any of my heroes from the ’89 Giants like Will Clark, Robby Thompson, Kevin Mitchell, Matt Williams, etc. ? If Rick Reuschel or Dave Dravecky used I’m burning all my Topps baseball cards.
ABaddaBingWhatever: Piazza shows up at least once a year at Citi Field for Mets Hall of Fame and number retirement ceremonies.
In my mind Will Clark would have taken a strong stance against steroids. He is a baseball treasure.
gorav114: What does that even mean? There’s nothing he could or would have done about what other players did.
It means I refuse to believe Will Clark would have ever used steroids
gorav114: But he hasn’t played in 25 years, so what difference does it make?
Baseball Then vs. Now: When Power Became a Mystery
The game has changed. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, power was rare and sacred. Guys like Bobby Bonds were anomalies—speed and pop in one package. Then came the ’80s and ’90s, and suddenly the long ball was everywhere.
Enter the PED era. Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, and Sammy Sosa didn’t just hit home runs—they launched missiles. McGwire’s 70 in ’98, Sosa’s 66 that same year (and 63 in 1999, 64 in 2001), and Canseco’s 40/40 season in ’88 weren’t just feats of strength; they were seismic shifts in what we thought was possible. And then came the whispers… steroids, PEDs, the dark cloud that still lingers.
But even before the steroid era fully bloomed, there were anomalies that made you scratch your head. Davey Johnson, a slick-fielding second baseman who never hit more than 18 homers in a season, suddenly mashed 43 bombs in 1973 for the Braves. That’s not just a career year—it’s a statistical outlier that defies logic.
Fast forward to 1996, and Brady Anderson—a leadoff hitter known more for speed than slugging—suddenly goes deep 50 times for the Orioles. He never hit more than 21 in any other season. Now, in 2025, he’s the Angels’ new hitting coach. Go figure.
So what changed? The ball? The bats? The bodies? The science? The strike zone? Or just the culture?
Baseball’s always been a game of adjustments, but some shifts are so dramatic they leave us wondering: was it evolution… or something else?
He was on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test in 2023. He’s out there doing stuff and in the public eye, just not quite out there like he was during his playing days.
Watch his eyes during his fight with Mota in 2003. Crazy eyes Killa!
Old news. Who even remembers or cares?
Regardless of whether Anderson took PEDs or not, the 50 HR season wasn’t the result of suddenly getting on the gas. His weight and body composition, which was always jacked and ripped, didnt change at all. Cal Ripken specifically said the thing with Brady that year is he guessed right and put amazing swings on a disproportionate number of pitches. It was largely a fluke, but a fluke that was the product of his patient approach.
Sure thing
There’s plausible deniability on Anderson. He was there in Baltimore for a few years before putting it together. He was doing a lot tinkering with his swing, much like Cal famously did.
Some culpability has to go to the other team for pitching to him rather than avoiding him and concentrating on the #2 or #9 guys, who looking back were usually McLemore and Devereaux. Both were good hitters but not as good as Anderson. It’s been a long time now but I think even back then, because it was such an outlier season and his physique didn’t change at all, the steroid accusations didn’t stick strongly
All you guys that keep saying his physique didn’t change must not of seen him in person. Stood 3 feet away from the guy when he was playing in Portland and the guys muscles were jumping out of his skin. He was so jacked up it wasn’t funny. At least 20 plus pounds heavier than the previous year and that’s when his injury woes started. Everybody and their mother knew whether he was doing was waaaay different that what he was doing before.
I’m not saying it was steroid, but it may have been massive over doses of creatine and every other muscle building agent you can put in your body. He looked so unnatural that he would have given show body builders a run for their money.
Popgun13: “…must not HAVE seen him in person.”
And all you’re doing is making accusations based on baseless speculation.
N11, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Anderson said he had put on 20 lbs of muscle going into that season. His own comments make you out to be a liar. Sorry that your hero juiced, but that is what happened.
One swing per week for 26 weeks. Just like Big Dumper going from 34 to 60.
good young coaching staff….
I would’ve went with him as a strength and conditioning coach but thats just me lol.
I believe he actually did do that a couple of years in spring training with the Orioles a few years ago.
He definitely had some sort of sway over such things along with nutrition for the O’s I think maybe during or after he was VP of Baseball Operations. Jokes aside, I can’t argue the dude was pretty ripped.
Yep, you are right. I had to look it up to see exactly what his title was and he was there longer than I thought too – looks like from 2013-2019
This is what I found online:
Brady Anderson held two roles in the Baltimore Orioles’ front office: he was first a Special Assistant to the Executive Vice-President for Baseball Operations, and he was later promoted to Vice-President of Baseball Operations in 2013. In his roles, which lasted until the end of the 2019 season, Anderson’s duties were broad and included coaching, overseeing the team’s strength and conditioning, influencing player moves, and sometimes assisting with contract negotiations.
So I guess a bunch of various duties, some not traditionally assigned to a VP title executive but whatever works I guess. He was/is definitely someone who appears to take conditioning and nutrition seriously. Will be interesting to see how he does in the on field role this year.
Gabe Kapler had a similar role as part of his job with the Dodgers
Popgun13: The vast majority of professional athletes are ripped because of their top physical conditioning, without which they wouldn’t be professional athletes in the first place.
Honestly, against all odds the Angels have put together a decent coaching staff. Their first move of the offseason was also a pretty good move. It will be exciting to see how they screw this up!
Their roster still has a lot of holes.
Anderson might teach Rendon some 50 homer tips… and get him back on track
Mabry could also teach some moneyball too and make the angels get more walks
He gives them a shot…
In the thigh?
The cream of the crop? Or the clear?
Oh well, sorry any Astros fans
I have no idea if these are good or bad hires.
It’s the Angels- every hire is a bad hire.
The Mike Maddux hire wasn’t bad.
At least they got a Maddux but of course it wasn’t Greg
Strike outs and roids are on the list of to dos for 2026
I’m a little puzzled on this one
Brady Anderson: Former Orioles slugger, famous for his 50-homer season in 1996. Played 15 MLB seasons, mostly with Baltimore but has no experience coaching
John Mabry: Assistant hitting coach. He does have extensive coaching experience with the Cardinals, Royals, Marlins, and Orioles
Hmmmm before Gene Mauch was a manger he had no managing experience.
Before Rod Carew was a hitting coach he had no coaching expiernce…
The Angels struck out the second most times in MLB history last year.
It’ll be hard not to improve.
Yet I wouldn’t rule it out.
The fact that we were worst in Ks, worst in BA, 3rd worse in OBP, but 4th best in home runs shows how backwards this team’s approach has been. The long ball will win a game or two but not a season. Small ball “get ’em on get ’em in” with a solid pitching staff is what wins seasons.
The coaching staff seems to be shaping up but until Moreno is gone or changes his micro-managing, the results will be the same.
Don’t hold your breath. You know When Arte first became owner of the Angels and he was bringing in players such as Pujols, Tori Hunter, Big Daddy Vlady, lowering the cost of beer. Angel fans had no problem with Arte Micro Managing
Only player in MLB to have 50-20 and 20-50 season
Is he still dating the former kpop singer?
that was true before 2025
ohtani has done it as well
Orioles fans have already learned that this is a giant mistake
Now watch closely everyone, it’s important to get the needle all the way into the buttocks and not just the fatty outter layer.
Thats okay gallant you can watch that…
I’m sure he will be great for only one year.
He led the league 3 times in HBP. He will definately help the team in OBP! Great!
Get a needle, fill it up and stick it in your thighs boys that how I did it back in the day .
You would have thought they culprit for giving out drugs that led to skaggs death that they would have stay away with any contention to drugs.
Wow they brought this dude out of the steroid cave
Bobby Estalella bullpen catcher.
Mark McGwire for G.I. Joe action figure coach
Marvin Benard outfield positiong.
Rafael Palmeiro finger pointing coach.
Non – Remember when Palmeiro played the part of Babu on Seinfeld?
youtu.be/D4hA1nKUmR4?si=RCJ8hfbAzG2FXaRX
No. I thought it was some actor who played him a few times. L O L
Angels hitters are about to learn the art of bashing!
I only know who Brady Anderson is because of an episode of the TV show Sabrina the teenage witch….
The Angels will be the first team to have a pharmacy in the concession stands.
Went from like 2 dingers to 54 in a year. Then back down to like 3. Nothing suspicious there at all.
I’m shocked Brady Anderson is 61, but I feel like he was always older, even when he played.
Hitting coach seems like a good position now.
a little surprising he hasnt been in more dugouts since the Os.
Not much left from the Dan Duquette era floating around in professional sports. That regime was just a bit outdated.
I opine that the Angels have made good coaching moves this off season. I wish the Rangers had hired Mabry and Anderson.
Talk about something that absolutely no one would have expected… that would be Brady Anderson being named a coach in MLB, anywhere.
1996 really doesn’t seem that long ago, but man.. it sure is a long time ago. How in the world is Brady Anderson 61?
Wait.. how old am I?
How can it be?
Raise your hand if his mom was your teacher at PVES. Son by birthright shares her gift to teach others.
I don’t know how I feel about bringing an obvious cheater onto the coaching staff. The one thing we could count on with Arte was that he would not sign or hire cheaters. Now that has obviously changed.
Why is Mabry UNDER Anderson considering dream boat’s lack of experience?
Agreed
Hitting was so bad last year, it’s time to let the boys start openly juicing again.
The Jonathan cheechoo of baseball
Nice. Maybe he can teach them how to go from being a light hitting bunch, to a 50 HR wrecking ball for 1 season, then back to being a light hitting bunch.
Saw a Baltimore podcast talking about John Mabry. He know what he is doing. Going to help the hitters a lot. Increase bat speed etc
Big 2026, all the right moves happening now. No excuse for not being a 90 game win team. Better coaching gets you 10 more wins
Better team playing gets you 10 more wins.