The Kansas City Royals have hired Connor Dawson as their newest assistant hitting coach for the 2026 season.

Dawson, 32, is from nearby Merriam, Kansas. He attended Olathe North High School and will be returning home to work alongside current Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt.

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The Royals shuffled their hitting department after the 2025 season concluded. They parted ways with former assistants Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon and will seek to add another coach to join Zumwalt and Dawson in the coming weeks.

Dawson’s arrival comes at the right time. He is entering his eighth season in pro baseball after beginning his career with the Seattle Mariners. He was a minor-league hitting coach before being promoted to minor-league hitting coordinator in 2021.

Dawson joined the Brewers organization after the 2021 season, working on manager Pat Murphy’s staff. Milwaukee players were said to enjoy his attention to detail in crafting daily routines in the batting cage, per Brewers radio host Dominic Cotroneo.

The Royals enter the offseason looking to improve their offense. They still need an impact bat — preferably a corner outfielder — to support a young core featuring shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., third baseman Maikel Garcia, catcher/first baseman Salvador Perez and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

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Dawson will have a chance to leave his imprint on KC’s Major League Baseball franchise in 2026. The Royals’ hitting department was a collaborative one this year, with players constantly approaching members of the coaching staff for tweaks to improve their game.

In addition to bolstering their staff of hitting coaches, the Royals are seeking another assistant pitching coach this offseason. Former KC assistant pitching coach Zach Bove left for a job with the Chicago White Sox this week — he’s their new head pitching coach.

Dawson played at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kansas. He later coached the Kansas City Bullets — a college-prep baseball team — and at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in the KC metro.