Baltimore Orioles Have Hired Their Hitting Coaches For Next Season: Report

After making changes to their hitting coaches earlier this offseason, an insider has reported the Baltimore Orioles have filled this position.

Feb 23, 2023; Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles offensive strategy coach Cody Asche (63) poses for a photo at Ed Smith Stadium / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

One of the first moves of this offseason for the Baltimore Orioles involved their co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller. After joining the organization in 2019, it was revealed he would not return next season after the two sides parted ways.

Later, their other co-hitting coach, Matt Borgschulte, also left the Orioles after accepting a job with the Minnesota Twins, the franchise he originally came over from back in 2022.

This news came on the heels of general manager Mike Elias and skipper Brandon Hyde saying there would be some changes following their early playoff exit, and after offense was a major issue during the Wild Card series sweep, these changes didn't come as a huge surprise.

Baltimore has now reportedly decided on who will fill these open roles, though.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, they are hiring Cody Asche to take over as their main hitting coach, while also hiring Tommy Joseph from the Seattle Mariners to become the assistant hitting coach.

Asche was a former Major League third baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox from 2013-17, and after his playing career ended following the 2020 season, he began his coaching career with the Phillies before joining the Orioles in 2022.

The most recent position he held with Baltimore was the offensive strategy coach, a role he was promoted to after coming on board as the upper-level hitting coordinator.

Joseph is an interesting hire on the surface.

The Mariners ranked 21st in runs scored, 29th in hits, 12th in homers, 22nd in RBI, 29th in batting average, and 22nd in OPS this past year.

Seattle has long been offensively challenged, so perhaps that was more of a roster construction issue than a direct reflection on the coaching staff.

Joseph has history with Asche from their playing days, and after getting into coaching in 2021, he was the hitting coach for minor league affiliate with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants before being hired by the Mariners to be their assistant hitting coach last season.