The Kansas City Royals agreed to hire Hunter Mense away from the San Francisco Giants as their assistant hitting coach, according to MLB.com sources.
Mense, 42, is a Missouri native who spent this past season on Giants manager Tony Vitello’s staff after joining ahead of 2026. Before that stint in San Francisco, Mense worked as the Toronto Blue Jays’ assistant hitting coach from 2022 through 2025.
The Terms Of The Hire
Specific contract terms were not disclosed. Mense held the same assistant hitting coach title during his four seasons in Toronto.
What It Means For Kansas City’s Coaching Staff
The Royals are also searching for a new head hitting coach after Alec Zumwalt was removed from that position at the end of the 2026 regular season. Zumwalt held the job for five seasons before being reassigned to a different role within the organization.
Kansas City ranked 22nd in the majors in runs scored last season with 690 and has ranked among the league’s bottom 10 in runs in 10 of the past 11 seasons.
What’s Next
The Royals continue searching for a new head hitting coach. No timeline for the hire has been announced.
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