Miami coaching staff 'close' after Mabry promotion, Mueller add

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Last Friday, the Marlins promoted John Mabry to hitting coach and hired Bill Mueller as an assistant hitting coach, but manager Skip Schumaker hinted the coaching staff might not be set on Day 1 of the Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort.

"Close," Schumaker said. "There's not openings, but you can always add. In different spots, categories."

After serving as an assistant hitting coach alongside John Hart in 2023, Mabry takes over for Brant Brown, who left for a job with the Mariners.

Before joining the Marlins, the 53-year-old Mabry was a Major League coach for the Royals for three seasons. Prior to that, he was the Cardinals' hitting coach from 2013-18 under Mike Matheny, and the assistant hitting coach to Mark McGwire in '12. Mabry's assistant hitting coach was Mueller from '14-18.

"It wasn't a finished product by any means, but I think the game planning was better," Schumaker said. "It wasn't just one way to hit a baseball anymore. Everybody had individualized game plans. Brownie was all in. He was great for us. All the Minor League side bought in on his philosophy as well, so I don't anticipate it being too different."

Mueller, 52, was the 2003 American League batting champion during his 11-year MLB playing career. Following his retirement in '06, he spent time as a special assistant to the general manager with the Dodgers until '12, which included a stint as interim hitting coach in '07. Mueller was a full-time scout before being named the Cubs' hitting coach in November '13, but he resigned and accepted a job as the Cardinals' assistant hitting coach.

Mueller was the Nationals' quality control coordinator in the player development department over the past two seasons.

"Salt of the earth, really good guy, fits our staff really well, has no ego in this thing," said Schumaker, who knew Mueller during their Los Angeles days. "You know our staff. We don't have any ego in this thing. We're just trying to get people better and trying to win baseball games, and I think he fits perfectly. They worked well together in St. Louis.

"That's important to me, because those hitting guys work so many hours together in the same office that if there's any sort of disconnect, it doesn't work. And so there needs to be some flow, and the same language also needs to be delivered to the player, and it can't be just like a million different ideas, and then these guys get lost. So that was important."

In 2023, Miami's offense improve in several categories, including batting average (from .230 to .259, second in NL) and strikeouts (from 1,429 to 1,287, third fewest). But the Marlins still scored the NL's fewest runs (666) and grounded into MLB's most double plays (159).

Batting champion Luis Arraez as well as Trade Deadline acquisitions Josh Bell and Jake Burger will be back with the Marlins in 2024. They could be without All-Star Jorge Soler, who is testing the free-agent market.