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January 29, 2021 The Texas Rangers brought a promising young hitter on board when they took Justin Foscue with the 14th-overall pick of last summer’s draft. A 21-year-old second baseman, Foscue put up a .958 OPS in his sophomore season at Mississippi State University, and he followed that up by slashing 321/.464/.509 in last year’s truncated collegiate campaign. Moreover, he displayed exemplary plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills. Foscue had 69 plate appearances with the Bulldogs in 2020, and drew 15 walks while striking out just three times. What kind of hitter does the Huntsville, A...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made two changes to their coaching staff yesterday. Adam Berry of MLB.com reports that the Bucs have named Christian Marrero as...

January 21, 2021 Dave Magadan was a productive big-league hitter — he logged a 117 wRC+ from 1986 to 2001 — and he’s followed up his playing career with several stints as a hitting coach. In that role with the Colorado Rockies for each of the past two seasons, Magadan previously plied his trade with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. His current situation is arguably the most challenging he’s faced. Having Coors Field as a home venue is a mixed blessing, and it goes without saying that today’s offensive environment is anything but ideal. M...

share-square-1008065 PITTSBURGH -- Derek Shelton learned an important lesson during his Major League managerial debut: Make plans all you want, but don’t set anything in stone. Shelton’s first season in Pittsburgh didn't adhere to anyone's expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic shortened Spring Training, cut the regular season down to 60 games and canceled the Minor League season. The health and safety protocols necessary to play during a pandemic led to empty ballparks and dramatically altered routines for players and staff. The Pirates spent most of the season without several of their top ...

December 17, 2020 The fact that Andy Haines has been coaching for close to two decades doesn’t make him unique among his contemporaries. But his background does differ. Two years into his tenure as the hitting coach of the Milwaukee Brewers, Haines is just 43 years old. He’s either been coaching or managing for basically his entire adult life. Haines earned a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University, and since that time he’s tutored players in independent ball, at every level of the minors — including as a coordinator — and more recently in the majors. An assistant h...