The San Francisco Giants are on the verge of naming their third hitting coach in three seasons, with team president of baseball operations Buster Posey telling reporters the club is close to finalizing a replacement for Hunter Mense, who left to join the Kansas City Royals’ staff. At the same time, the Giants have already made one coaching move official: promoting Taira Uematsu to first-base coach, a hire that makes him the first Japanese-born base coach in Major League Baseball history.
Posey met with reporters at the MLB general managers meetings in Las Vegas, where, according to McCovey Chronicles, he said the organization is “very close to announcing” Mense’s replacement. The search began after the Giants granted Kansas City permission to interview Mense for an opportunity that would bring him closer to home, according to The San Francisco Standard. That outlet reported the Giants are seeking a hitting coach specifically because Mense left the organization to join Kansas City's staff.
Whoever takes the job inherits an offense with a clear problem area. The Giants ranked last in MLB in hitters' walk rate during the 2026 season, per The Athletic. Under Mense, San Francisco actually ranked 10th in batting average, eighth in hits, and ninth in slugging percentage — but finished 30th, or last, in walks with 449, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. Manager Tony Vitello told the Times-Standard he wants the next hitting coach to help the team build a clearer offensive identity, saying he wants “a little more aggressive effort at formulating an identity of what does our offense look like.”
Uematsu's Long Road From Bullpen Catcher to History-Maker
While the hitting coach search plays out, the Giants have confirmed Uematsu's move to first-base coach, where he replaces Shane Robinson — a promotion that McCovey Chronicles notes makes him the first Japanese-born base coach in MLB history. Posey, who announced the promotion, said Uematsu is “one of the most dedicated, loyal and hardworking people” he has known.
Uematsu's path to the role stretches back two decades. He joined the Giants organization as a minor-league bullpen catcher in 2006, and manager Gabe Kapler later promoted him from a support-staff position to assistant coach, a move that made him the first coach in major-league history born and raised in Japan, according to The Athletic's 2021 profile. Under former manager Bruce Bochy, Uematsu earned the nickname “Mr. Omnipresent” for taking on so many different tasks around the club, and he kept his quality control coach title under Vitello last season while also studying opposing pitchers' tells and times to the plate. He had already gotten a taste of the first-base coaching box this year, filling in on an interim basis for a week while Robinson dealt with family matters and performing the role again during spring training.
Posey said Robinson wanted to spend more time with his family, and the longtime coach will remain in the organization as a roving outfield coordinator on the minor-league side.
Pettis and Washington Return as Giants Address Baserunning Woes
Gary Pettis is set to return as the Giants' third-base coach, a role he stepped into after the team reassigned first-year base coach Hector Borg. The Giants' baserunning improved following that midseason change, though the club still finished 22nd in MLB with 88 stolen bases and ranked last in the majors in multiple baserunning metrics, per The Athletic's earlier report on the Borg reassignment. The Athletic's season-ending stats review similarly found the Giants ranking last in several baserunning-related categories.
Ron Washington is also returning as the Giants' infield coach, continuing work that included reshaping Luis Arraez's defense before Arraez was traded. Together, the returning infield and baserunning staff gives Vitello some continuity as he looks to build on a first season that ended with the Giants losing 97 games, a tally the Times-Standard called notable given Vitello's unprecedented jump from collegiate head coach to major-league manager.
Pitching Staff Shuffled, Not Overhauled
The Giants announced their pitching staff will return largely intact but in restructured roles. Justin Meccage will remain the team's head pitching coach, while Frank Anderson will transition from director of major-league pitching to assistant pitching coach, according to the Times-Standard. Christian Wonders will move from assistant pitching coach to director of minor-league arms.
The San Francisco Standard reported the plan is to keep all the pitching coaches on staff but revise their duties so the group works more cohesively. Posey said communication among the pitching coaches was scattered last season, a problem the restructuring is meant to address. General manager Zack Minasian confirmed assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard will return as well, while the Standard reported the Giants are also discussing the catching coach position following Alex Burg's last season in that role.
