Overview
- The Athletic reported that San Francisco is hiring Toronto assistant hitting coach Hunter Mense to lead its hitters under new manager Tony Vitello.
- Mense, 41, has been on the Blue Jays’ major-league staff since 2022 after stints as Double-A hitting coach and the club’s minor-league hitting coordinator.
- He will replace Pat Burrell, who will remain with the organization in a different role, and assistant hitting coach Damon Minor has been let go.
- The reshaping of the staff also includes departures of Ryan Christenson, Matt Williams, J.P. Martinez and Garvin Alston, and former Padres manager Jayce Tingler will join with a role yet to be announced.
- Toronto, which ranked third in OPS (.761) and fourth in runs (798) in 2025, must fill Mense’s spot after GM Ross Atkins recently said there would be no "proactive subtractions" from his staff.