Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Giants To Hire Blue Jays Assistant Hunter Mense as Hitting Coach

The move reunites Mense with Tony Vitello from their Missouri days, signaling a push toward a contact-first approach.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets citing The Athletic reported Wednesday that Mense will become San Francisco's hitting coach for 2026, with formal team announcements still pending.
  • Pat Burrell will move to another role in the organization, assistant hitting coach Damon Minor has been let go, and Oscar Bernard remains on staff.
  • Toronto reached the World Series behind an offense that ranked third in OPS, fourth in runs, and posted MLB's lowest strikeout rate in 2025.
  • Mense, 41, rose through Toronto’s system from Double-A hitting coach in 2018 to minor-league hitting coordinator and then joined the major-league staff in 2022.
  • The hire is the second known addition to Vitello’s staff after Jayce Tingler, while the Blue Jays are expected to seek an assistant hitting coach to replace Mense.