White Sox Name Frank Menechino Hitting Coach

CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox have named Frank Menechino as the club’s new hitting coach.

Menechino, 48, spent last season in the same capacity with Class AAA Charlotte, his first as a coach in the organization. Under his guidance in 2019, the Knights led the International League in runs scored (792), ranked second in on-base percentage (.352), slugging percentage (.472) and OPS (.824) and third in home runs (208).

Among the players Menechino coached at Charlotte were catcher Zack Collins, infielders Nick Madrigal and Danny Mendick and outfielder Luis Robert.

Collins, the Sox first-round pick (No. 10 overall) in 2016, batted .282/.403/.548 (83-294) with 19 home runs, 74 RBI, 56 runs scored and 62 walks in just 88 games. Collins would have ranked third in the IL in on-base percentage and OPS (.951) and sixth in slugging percentage with the required plate appearances.

Madrigal, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, hit .331/.398/.424 with 26 runs scored and just five strikeouts in 29 games after being promoted to Charlotte on August 1.

Mendick batted .279/.368/.444 (133-477) with 26 doubles, 17 homers, 64 RBI, 75 runs scored and 66 walks in 133 games in 2019, his first full season with the Knights.

Robert, the No. 3 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, batted .297/.341/.634 (60-202) with 16 home runs, 39 RBI and 44 runs scored in 47 games after joining Charlotte in July.

Menechino replaces Todd Steverson, who served as hitting coach for six seasons (2014-19). Prior to joining the Sox organization, Menechino spent five seasons (2014-18) on the Miami Marlins major-league staff, including three (2014-16) as the assistant hitting coach and two (2017-18) as the hitting coach.

The Marlins hit 194 home runs in 2017, the third-highest total in franchise history, and ranked second in the National League in 2016 with a .263 average. Among the players Menechino coached in Miami were Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna, J.T. Realmuto, Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich. Stanton was named NL Most Valuable Player in 2017 after leading the majors with a franchise-record 59 home runs, 132 RBI and .631 slugging percentage.

Menechino began his coaching career as a hitting coach in the New York Yankees organization, spending two seasons at Class AA Trenton (2009-10) and three at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (2011-13).

He played seven seasons in the major leagues as an infielder with Oakland (1999-2004) and Toronto (2004-05), hitting .240 with 58 doubles, 36 home runs, 149 RBI, 207 runs scored and a .358 on-base percentage over 450 games. Menechino set career highs in 2001 with 22 doubles, 12 homers, 60 RBI, 79 walks, 82 runs scored and 139 games as the A’s won 102 games.

Menechino, a native of Staten Island, N.Y., was selected by the White Sox in the 45th round of the 1993 draft out of the University of Alabama.