Padres Hire New Coaching Staff Ahead of 2026 Season

The San Diego Padres have announced significant changes to their coaching staff as they prepare for the 2026 season. According to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres are hiring Steven Souza Jr. as their new hitting coach and Randy Knorr as the bench coach.

Souza, a 36-year-old former MLB outfielder, retired in 2022 and has never held a coaching position in the major leagues. Prior to this role, he served as a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2025 season.

Souza had a career spanning parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, most notably with the Rays from 2015 to 2017, where he had his best performance, including a 30-home run season in 2017. Overall, he hit 72 home runs with a batting line of .229/.318/.411 over nearly 1900 career plate appearances.

His experience in the majors began when he was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the 2007 draft. He briefly reached the big leagues in 2014, which coincided with Craig Stammen's tenure in the Nationals' bullpen.

The Nationals traded Souza to Tampa Bay in a three-team deal that also involved the Padres. As hitting coach, Souza will replace Victor Rodriguez, who left for a similar position with the Houston Astros.

The Padres' offense struggled last season, finishing 18th in scoring despite a roster filled with talent. They ranked in the top ten for batting average and on-base percentage but were near the bottom in home runs, which was a key area for improvement.

In addition to Souza's hiring, Randy Knorr, who is 57 years old, will return to work alongside Stammen. Knorr was the bullpen coach for the Nationals when Stammen made his major league debut in 2009, later becoming their bench coach until 2015.

After his time with the Nationals, Knorr contributed in various roles, including minor league manager and player development advisor, before leaving the organization at the end of the 2025 season. Brian Esposito, who served as the Padres' bench coach in 2025 and interviewed for the managerial position after Mike Shildt stepped down, is expected to remain in the organization but in an undisclosed role.

The Padres are also likely to retain their pitching coaches, Ruben Niebla and Ben Fritz, both of whom are reportedly on multi-year contracts. The Padres will likely continue to assess their hitting staff as they aim to improve their offensive production ahead of the upcoming season.