Blue Jays to name Guillermo Martinez hitting coach

Guillermo Martinez will reportedly replace Brook Jacoby as the hitting coach on the major league staff.

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, who reported the promotion early Friday, the Blue Jays have a new hitting coach, as they are set to name Guillermo Martinez to the major league coaching staff. He will replace Brook Jacoby as the major league hitting coach and will join Dave Hudgens on Charlie Montoyo’s new coaching staff.

Martinez, 34, previously served as a hitting instructor for the Blue Jays’ minor league affiliates from 2011 to 2013, according to his LinkedIn account. He then worked with the Chicago Cubs organization from 2014 to 2017 before re-joining the Jays in November 2017 as a hitting coordinator.

Prior to joining the Blue Jays organization for the first time, the native of Miami, Florida played a few seasons in the Marlins minor league system before turning to independent ball in 2009. He tallied a total of 147 MiLB games over his four-year career.

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At the surface, this seems like a smart hire for the Blue Jays, who are heading in a more modern direction in terms of coaching and analytics. Martinez, a young voice on the staff, will provide some new advice to Blue Jays hitters, both old and young. What was once a powerful offence in Toronto a few years ago has regressed pretty significantly, and Martinez will be tasked with bringing a new voice, and guiding the next generation of young Blue Jays through their introduction to MLB.

Now, the focus on the coaching side of things will turn to DeMarlo Hale, the former bench coach who doesn’t have a set spot, despite general manager Ross Atkins’ reassurance that they want him as a part of the coaching staff.

This hire undoubtedly signals a changing of the guard in the Blue Jays dugout, as they are easily now more likely to rely on analytics and more progressive approaches to the game. While this is by no means a ground-breaking move, it could prove to be smart in the long run for this team. More to come.