There’s a new addition to the organization.
The White Sox have named Ryan Fuller as the team’s Director of Hitting, a source has told Sox On 35th. As we previously reported on Monday, Fuller was under consideration for a role after serving as Baltimore’s co-hitting coach since the 2022 season.
Fuller, 34, got his start in coaching after serving as a high school hitting coach for six years. He got his break in 2019 when he joined the Orioles organization as a minor-league hitting coordinator. He was brought into the organization by then-Director of Player Development Matt Blood to reinvent the team’s hitting program. His changes were met with positive reviews, as overall production on the farm for the Orioles improved upon his arrival.
In 2021, Fuller became the hitting coach of the team’s Double-A affiliate, the Bowie Baysox. After the season, Baltimore promoted Fuller to serve as the Orioles’ major league co-hitting coach, sharing duties with Matt Borgschulte, who was brought in from the Twins. Fuller stayed in his role through the 2024 season, until he and the Orioles parted ways after the club’s postseason appearance.
Overall, the Birds saw decent results at the plate in 2024 as they improved on their 2023 numbers. The team hit .250/.315/.435 for a 115 wRC+, trailing only the Dodgers and Yankees. However, the Orioles’ lineup produced inconsistent results down the stretch in 2024, often struggling to hit with runners in scoring position (.296 wOBA with RISP in the second half). Their offensive woes were displayed during the postseason when they scored one run over two games, dropping both to the Royals in the Wild Card Series.
The specifics of Fuller’s new role are not yet known, though it’s expected to be the hitting equivalent of Brian Bannister’s position on the pitching side. Bannister, 43, was hired as the senior advisor to pitching in September 2023, working with players throughout the entire organization.
We will provide updates as we get further information on Fuller’s hire.
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The title of his position confuses me. Will he be the traditional in the dugout hitting coach? Or will he be like Bannister is with pitching and travel throughout the system working with hitters from MLB to rookie leaguers?
As of right now, it sounds more like he’s the hitting equivalent of Bannister.