The Royals announced their minor league coaching staffs for 2026, and for the first time in 34 years, Mike Jirschele won’t be in the organization.
The longtime Royals coach and manager for the Omaha Storm Chasers for the last three years retired after over three decades with the organization. Taking over at the helm for the top Royals’ affiliate in Omaha is Patrick Osborn, who served as bench coach there last year. Osborn joined the Royals organization last year after working six years as a manager in the Yankees organization, then three years as a skipper in the independent Atlantic League. Dane Johnson returns as pitching coach with Dave Lundquist as assistant pitching coach. Bijan Rademacher returns as hitting coach, but last year’s assistant hitting coach Darin Everson left to join the Nationals organization. Tripp Keister moves up from Columbia to serve as a coach for Omaha.
Brooks Conrad will lead the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals for the second year, with Chris Corbett also returning to the coaching staff. Andy LaRoche returns as hitting coach with Larry Carter at pitching coach. Anthony Silkwood joins the organization as an assistant pitching coach after serving as a coach at Jacksonville State. Kevin Kuntz, son of Rusty, left the Naturals coaching staff to take a job with the Athletics.
Jesus Azuaje will serve as manager at High-A Quad Cities for a second year. Derrick Lewis and Clayton Mortensen return as his pitching coaches. Manny Burriss, a former Giants infielder who spent the last two years as a hitting coach for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, joins the River Bandits as a hitting coach. Luke Lowery also joins the organization as a coach for the River Bandits, after serving as Director of Player Development at PDG Academy.
David Noworyta also returns for a second year as skipper of the Low-A Columbia Fireflies after leading them to a postseason spot last year. Pitching coaches Taylor Bloye and Julio Pimentel, and hitting coach Ramón Castro return, with Chris Nelson also joining the team as an assistant hitting coach after spending last year with the Arizona Summer League team.
Larry Sutton returns to lead the Arizona Summer League team, with Jesús Delgado, Christopher Marte, and Ken Knutson all returning as pitching coaches. Former MLB catcher Alan Zinter joins the staff with experience working in the Diamondbacks, Astros, Padres, Giants, and Reds. Wilson Betemit Sr. and Rosell Herrera will also serve with Zinter as hitting coaches. Jesús Atencio also returns to the coaching staff.
Ramón Martínez and Sergio De Luna will lead teams in the Dominican Summer League with hitting coaches Irving Falu and Fernando Martinez returning, as well as pitching coach Leonel Santiago, and coaches Quilvio Veras Sr. and Onil Joseph. Mario Santiago joins the organization as a pitching coach and Ariel Venegas joins as an assistant hitting coach.
Mitch Maier returns as Director of Player Development with Nick Leto serving as Director of Minor League Operations and Kevin Howard as Assistant Director of Player Development. Paul Gibson serving as Senior Director of Pitching Performance with Nate Adock and Justin Freidman serving as Assistant Direcotrs, Sam Eades as PItching and Performance Integration Specialist, and Paul Menhart as Pitching Coordinator. Abraham Núñez, and Nic Jackson will serve as hitting coordinators with Joe Raccuia working in hitting performance and scouting. Scott Thorman and Omar Ramirez serve as Field Coordinators, J.C. Boscan as Catching Coordinator, and Tony Peña, Jr. as Infield Coordinator. Matt Duffy joins the front office as a Player Development Assistant, and Chino Cadahia, and legendary Royals caoch Rusty Kuntz will all serve as special assistants to the GM.
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