In a continuing effort to maximize an underachieving lineup on a team that regressed alarmingly in the 2024 season, the Blue Jays continue to shuffle the major-league coaching lineup under manager John Schneider.
The team announced three appointments to that staff on Monday to bring new voices to a team in need of a fresh approach: Lou Iannotti as the assistant hitting coach (replacing Matt Hague), Graham Johnson as bullpen coach (replacing Jeff Ware) and Sam Greene as assistant pitching coach.
Of the additions, the most prominent would appear to be that of Iannotti who spent the 2024 season as hitting coordinator with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old spent seven seasons with the Dodgers in a variety of coaching and coordinator roles across the organization and will bring some of that winning pedigree to Toronto.
Johnson comes to the Jays from the New York Yankees organization, where most recently he was the pitching coach with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the past three seasons. Previously, Johnson spent four seasons in the Astros organization.
Greene most recently was a senior pitching research specialist with the Jays during the 2024 season.
Earlier in the off-season, the team announced David Popkins as hitting coach after the firing of Guillermo Martinez following the team’s last-place 2024 season. Improving the team’s offensive production is a clear priority for the Jays after bottoming out with their fewest runs scored since 1997. General manager Ross Atkins is expected to continue working to address the issue during the off-season via free agency or trade.
The latest moves finalize Schneider’s staff for 2025. Don Mattingly returns to a bench coach role after serving as offensive coordinator in 2024. Also returning is DeMarlo Hale (associate manager), Pete Walker (pitching coach), Popkins, Mark Budzinski (first base), Carlos Febles (third base), Hunter Mense (assistant pitching coach) and John Lannan (major league mental performance coach).