KC Royals make offseason splash by adding Marcus Thames to hitting department
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals hire Marcus Thames as hitting coach to join Alec Zumwalt and Connor Dawson.
- Thames brings 10 years of MLB playing experience; 11 seasons as MLB hitting coach.
- Club revamps staff after 2025 offensive woes; KC targets power gains and new corner bat.
The Kansas City Royals have added a familiar name to their hitting department. On Monday, the Royals hired former MLB standout Marcus Thames as a hitting coach.
Thames, 48, spent two seasons with the Chicago White Sox. He served as the club’s primary hitting coach under White Sox manager Will Venable. He will now join the Royals and work alongside Alec Zumwalt and Connor Dawson — who was hired last week.
The Royals will formally introduce Thames on Tuesday. He brings a wealth of playing experience after 10 years in the majors. Additionally, Thames has been a hitting coach with four organizations: the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels and White Sox.
Zumwalt remains the Royals’ lead hitting coach. The club will operate with three coaches in the hitting department, with Miguel Garcia also expected to work with the group.
Last season, the Royals produced a .247 batting average as a team. They finished 19th in OPS (.706) among MLB teams while scoring 84 fewer runs than a season ago.
As a result, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo revamped the hitting department. The club parted ways with Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon after the 2025 campaign. In their search, the Royals looked to diversify the department with different skill sets.
Thames hit for power in his MLB tenure — most notably with 26 homers in 2006 with the Detroit Tigers. He brought that approach to his coaching tenure with the Yankees, Angels and White Sox.
Each unit was among the top American League teams in home runs. A big emphasis was the ability to generate power and drive in more runs. In 2025, the White Sox finished the second half of the season by scoring 4.85 runs per game.
The Royals have notable power hitters in their lineup. Both Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez reached 30 homers and 100 RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. just won a second AL Silver Slugger Award at shortstop, and Jac Caglianone is an emerging power threat.
Caglianone could thrive under Thames’ tutelage. A lot was made about Caglianone’s ground-ball rate this season, and Thames could possibly unlock his ability to lift the baseball more.
Thames has worked with both Luke Voit and Shohei Ohtani. Voit led the majors with 22 homers during a COVID-shortened 60-game season. Ohtani hit 44 homers to lead the AL in 2023.
The White Sox had six players hit 10 or more homers last season. They were right alongside the Royals in several offensive categories post All-Star Break, when the KC bats started hitting.
The Royals are expected to search for an impact bat this offseason to support their young offensive core. The club could target a corner outfielder or find a potential solution with infield versatility.
At the current moment, the Royals have key free agents — such as Adam Frazier and Mike Yastrzemski — heading to the open market. There is a chance both are retained given their ability to fit within the lineup.
Thames, who last played in 2011, began his coaching career with the Yankees. He will enter his 11th season as a major-league hitting coach.
