MLB News: Rangers Tab Aaron Boone's Brother to Replace Fired Hitting Coach
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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The brother of the New York Yankees manager will take his first major league hitting coach job with a team that has struggled to hit.
#Rangers have hired a new hitting coach. It's Bret Boone, the former MLB All-Star. — Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) May 5, 2025
Bret Boone, a veteran of 14 major league seasons who made three All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger Awards with five different franchises, is the new hitting coach of the Texas Rangers. According to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, his contract runs through the end of the 2025 season.
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President of baseball operations Chris Young made the announcement Monday, one day after the Rangers fired offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker.
Ryan Klesko and Bret Boone shake hands during the Atlanta Braves Alumni Home Run Derby before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 24, 2024 in Atlanta,...
Ryan Klesko and Bret Boone shake hands during the Atlanta Braves Alumni Home Run Derby before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 24, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. More
Matthew Grimes Jr./It's the first major league hitting coach's job for Boone, 56, whose younger brother Aaron has managed the New York Yankees since 2018.
"This completely came out of left field," Boone said Monday. "(Rangers manager Bruce Bochy) kind of ran it by me and he said, 'why don't you think about it.' I talked to my wife, talked to the people close to me. It didn't take long. ... To get back on the field for the first time in a long time for me, there's no reason — Bruce Bochy's number 1 on my list."
The Rangers enter Tuesday's game in Boston with the second-lowest OPS (.643) of any American League team. Only the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, who last year set a modern record with 121 losses, are lower (.625).
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The Rangers, just two years removed from the first World Series title in franchise history, rank 14th in the AL in batting average (.228), on-base percentage (.285) and 13th in slugging (.359).
Ecker, a veteran hitting coach who joined the Rangers from the San Francisco Giants, was credited with helping the Rangers slug their way to the 2023 championship over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the first coach to be fired mid-season under Bochy, who previously managed the Giants and Padres in what is likely to be a Hall of Fame career.
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Rather than build on their momentum, the Rangers took a step back in 2024, going 78-84. This year they're just 17-18 despite a commendable 3.44 ERA from their pitching staff.
An uncharacteristically slow start from several veterans — namely Joc Pederson, Marcus Semien, and Jake Burger — contributed to the change in coaches. Burger has been optioned to the minor leagues. Semien was dropped from the lineup. And while Pederson has thus far kept his roster spot, veteran outfielder Leody Taveras was placed on waivers over the weekend.
Rangers outfielder Leodys Taveras on outright waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic. Any team that claimed him would assume balance of $4.75M salary. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 4, 2025
Boone played for the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins from 1992-2005. In retirement, the elder Boone has shared his thoughts on baseball and other sports on an eponymous podcast.
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Bret Boone is also the author of a book, Home Game: Big-League Stories from My Life in Baseball's First Family, chronicling his experiences as a third-generation star following in the footsteps of his father, Bob, and his grandfather, Ray.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
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