The Royals have brought on Hunter Mense as an assistant hitting coach, according to reporters Mark Feinsand and Maria Guardado. Mense recently finished his first season as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, the Royals reassigned their hitting coach Alec Zumwalt from working with the major league hitters so he can concentrate on coaching in the minor leagues.
Mense, a native of Liberty, Missouri and a former University of Missouri player, spent several years as a minor league player in the Marlins’ system but never made it to the majors. He began his coaching career with the Padres’ minor league teams in 2017, then moved to the Blue Jays’ organization after a year. By 2022, he was promoted to assistant hitting coach for the Blue Jays’ major league squad, contributing to their 2025 pennant victory. The Giants hired him this year to support their new manager, Tony Vitiello. During Mense’s tenure, the Giants averaged only 4.13 runs per game, ranking fifth-lowest in MLB, and used 34 different position players amid a midseason rebuild.
Although Mense is technically stepping down by joining the Royals, it is notable that the Giants let him go after just one year. He will now work alongside assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames at the major league level, while Zumwalt keeps his role as Director of Hitting Performance. Offensively, the Royals improved last season, averaging 4.26 runs per game (21st in baseball), up from 4.02 runs per game in 2025. Despite this progress, the lineup started slow, struggles with drawing walks persisted, and the team had the worst offensive performance on the road.
Fan Take: This coaching change is an intriguing development for baseball fans because it signals the Royals’ commitment to strengthening their offense through fresh perspectives. Hunter Mense’s experience, especially from a pennant-winning team, could bring new energy and strategies that help turn around Kansas City’s offensive struggles and make the division more competitive.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
