Credit: Washington Post
The San Diego Padres have begun rounding out new skipper Craig Stammen’s first coaching staff.
Two names were reported as additions to the coaching staff. Randy Knorr was named as the team’s new bench coach. More notably, former MLB outfielder Steven Souza Jr.has been hired as the Padres’ new hitting coach. Sources in both The Athletic and San Diego UT have since confirmed the news.
The Padres are hiring Randy Knorr and Steven Souza Jr. as bench coach and hitting coach, sources tell @TheAthletic. Both men spent time with Craig Stammen in the Nationals organization.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) November 25, 2025
Souza, 36, has not worked in an official on-field position with an MLB organization at the major or minor league level. Since announcing his retirement after 2022, Souza has spent time as a baseball coach/part-owner of a baseball instructional company named BASE by Pros. He added a new role in 2025, serving as a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Rays. With his new position, Souza takes over for Victor Rodriguez, who accepted the hitting coach position with the Houston Astros.
While there may be concerns and doubts about bringing in a rookie lead hitting coach for a team in the midst of a playoff window, examining what Souza has done since retiring does begin to rationalize the hire. Souza has used his avenue of BASE by Pros and his own media presence to provide detailed and specific hitting analysis, breaking down changes in players’ swings and the biomechanics behind maximizing quality of contact. Souza has also shown an understanding of communicating with players when it comes to hitting, an experience he has used to mentor college players through BASE by Pros. Communication with players about hitting was something that became a criticism of the 2025 Padres, given their approach lacked slug when needed.
Does being an MLB Great instantly make you a good hitting coach?
Former Mariners Steven Souza Jr. shares his insight⬇️ pic.twitter.com/En9LE81Px9
— Marine Layer Podcast (@MarineLayerPod) September 17, 2024
Also joining Souza in San Diego is Randy Knorr, as he has been appointed as the team’s bench coach. Knorr, like Souza, has MLB experience as a player, serving as a backup catcher from 1991-2001. Knorr has a World Series ring due to his time on the 1993 Blue Jays, where he served as the backup to Pat Borders.
After his retirement in 2001, Knorr went into coaching as a member of the Nationals organization in 2005, first managing the Savannah Sand Gnats for one season. Knorr then managed the Potomac Nationals, Washington’s High-A affiliate, from 2006-2008. In those three seasons, he led the team to a Carolina League championship in 2008. Knorr also managed a young Craig Stammen throughout those seasons, so the connection there is one that has been established over the years. Knorr has also served as the Nationals’ bench coach from 2012-2015, as well as their first base coach in 2021. Knorr has been in a player development role since 2022, but was let go following the 2025 season due to the team’s organizational and front office overhaul under new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni.
Knorr and Souza Jr join a Padres coaching staff that currently features Ruben Niebla as pitching coach (and likely, associate manager), and Ben Fritz as bullpen coach. Brian Esposito, who previously held the role of bench coach, is also said to be remaining with the organization in a yet-to-be-determined role, per sources. His role is unknown as of the publication of this article, but Esposito does have managerial experience in the minor leagues, so that remains a storyline to follow.
While San Diego has not yet filled out their coaching staff, it is likely that the team will round out the staff by the MLB winter meetings in early December.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.
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