O's hire co-hitting coaches for '22 (source)
The Orioles have filled the lone vacancy on Brandon Hyde’s coaching staff -- with two hires.
The club tabbed Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte to replace former hitting coach Don Long, according to a source. Baltimore has not announced the promotions.
Together, Fuller and Borgschulte will serve as co-hitting coaches for the 2022 season. Long, the team’s hitting coach from 2019-21, was dismissed in October.
These will be the first Major League coaching positions for both Fuller and Borgschulte. Fuller, 31, has been with the organization since 2019, working as its full-season hitting coordinator and Double-A hitting coach in '21. Borgschulte, also 31, was most recently the Twins’ Triple-A hitting coach. He did not play pro ball. Fuller played one season in the D-backs organization.
The moves bring the Orioles closer to finalizing Hyde’s 2022 coaching staff, but the team is not done. The O's must still decide a new role on the big league staff for José Hernández, who served as the club’s assistant hitting coach under Long last season. They are also planning to adjust Major League field coordinator Tim Cossins’ role to free up assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes for in-game dugout duty alongside director of pitching/pitching coach Chris Holt, and add an analytics-minded coaching position to Hyde’s staff.
Expected to return for 2022 are Holt, Hernández, Cossins, Major League coach Fredi González, third-base coach Tony Mansolino and first-base coach Anthony Sanders. Hyde previously signed an extension through 2022, it was revealed in September.
ROY revealed
Ryan Mountcastle led all American League rookies with 33 home runs in 2021. But that wasn't enough to earn the Orioles' young slugger some postseason hardware.
Mountcastle finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year BBWAA voting, it was revealed Monday on MLB Network. Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena claimed the award, with Astros righty Luis Garcia finishing second and Rays infielder Wander Franco third. Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia and Indians closer Emmanual Clase placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Mountcastle received two second-place votes and four third-place votes, finishing with 10 total points, one point behind fifth place finisher Clase, in the voting. Mountcastle set a new Orioles franchise rookie record with 33 home runs, but early season struggles at the plate and in left field weighed down his case and overall value. His 0.9 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference, ranked as the lowest among the eight players receiving ROY votes.