[Rogers] #Royals GM JJ Picollo says hitting coach Alec Zumwalt “will return” as the hitting coach in 2026 and “most of the staff” will return as well. Might be tweaks to the staff to help get most out of players.

35 comments

  4. Contrary to what most people here think, I like it. Hitters throughout the Royals org mash at all levels. If we need some tweaking for an MLB hitting instructor – great. But Zumwalt is the Director of Hitting Performance for the entire org and the org hits.

  5. What the literal f***?!?! Nearing franchise record lows in offensive production for the majority of the season but keep Z. Ok goofs

  7. “Sure we had the 5th lowest runs total in baseball but only the 3rd lowest runs total in the AL Central”

  8. I would personally love to see Cags get some instruction form someone outside the franchise this offseason. He obviously can hit the ball, as we have seen in AAA and on occasion in the MLB as well, but I think his problem might be all mental. He swings at bad pitches like he’s trying to do too much, and then he just gets down on himself and I think it spirals.

    If he can figure out a way to have a bulletproof hitting approach and put everything together he is going to be a top 5 hitter in the league. As a Royals fan and a Cags fan I hope that he can get to that point.

    I think he needs to find someone like Edgar Martinez was for the Mariners this year. A former player that can really help him figure it all out.

  10. As I have said numerous times in these threads. These are big league hitters, a hitting coach doesn’t have as much influence on a player as they do on lower levels. Hitting coaches at this level identifying nuances in a player’s swing and trying to help them correct it.

    If you guys hold the hitting coach so accountable as a whole, what about Mical, what about Vinnie, what about Bobby? We as fans try so hard to find someone to blame failures on and get affixed to one thing, sometimes I think it blinds us to the bigger picture.

  13. This might be the year I go full blown Yankees fan. Not in the sense that I root for them. But in the sense that I show up to as many games as I can blackout drunk and scream at the staff about how shit they are

  14. I can’t believe he’s staying after getting caught arguing with fans on a burner account. His hitting philosophy is obviously flawed when there are few hitters in the system with a good approach, and the royals routinely have to acquire guys with good approaches from other teams.

  15. This organization again fails to look inward and make accurate judgements about itself. It’s the reason they started MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe for half of a season, it’s why the scouting and player development department has remained the same despite numerous failed drafts, and it’s why Zumwalt is coming back.

    This organization consistently fails to take meaningful steps forward and it appears as though they will continue to do so. You cannot waste Witt’s contract but they appear content to do just that.

  16. I dont get it, I just dont get it. Even if you think Zumwalt isn’t the problem and he’s a perfectly fine HC, you have to understand that heads have to roll after that miserable offensive showing. Someone has to fall on the sword and take the blame for the lackluster performance.

  17. The playoffs haven’t even started…I’m gonna wait a couple months before I worry. 
    Not like the team is gonna say shit before they actually fire someone and I doubt they have spent the time yet to process the season

  18. Idk the team went from mid 20s in risp to 2nd in the 2nd half of the year. Either he figured something out or the boys saved his job. But being called out by Q makes it seem like Zumwalt is on notice and the tweaks will be putting someone with him that can take over at a moments notice

  19. It is insane to announce this before the calendar even turns to October. Even if you were leaning towards retaining him, you’re not even going to shop around?????

  27. If he makes the haters eat crow, so be it, but if the hitting is suspect early on again, I’m hoping the leash is short. Personally I think this is a terrible mistake by the FO to announce this before October’s even gone—they don’t even want to consider a search?? And MFs wonder why this town’s all Chiefs all the time…

  35. Players might as well get tips from Tik Tok coaches… worked wonders for my U8 player 😂

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