We are just under 100 days until Opening Day 2026, and today, the White Sox have officially announced their complete Major League coaching staff for the upcoming season under second-year manager Will Venable. The staff does feature some names from last season, but represents a significant overhaul at key coaching positions.
Here’s the rundown on the team’s new staff. This 12-person staff represents an increase from 11 in 2025:
- Manager: Will Venable
- Bench Coach: Walker McKinven
- Pitching Coach: Zach Bove
- Assistant Pitching Coach: Bobby Hearn
- Bullpen Coach: Matt Wise
- Hitting Coach: Derek Shomon
- Assistant Hitting Coach: Joel McKeithan
- First Base/Outfield Coach: José Leger
- Third Base/Infield Coach: Justin Jirschele
- Major League Field Coordinator: Chris Denorfia
- Bullpen Catcher: Bennett Markinson
- Bullpen Catcher: Luis Sierra
- Major League Assistant: Tony Medina
Returning Staff
Several coaches from Venable’s 2025 staff are back in their roles, including bench coach Walker McKinven, bullpen coach Matt Wise, third base coach Justin Jirschele, and assistant hitting coach Joel McKeithan. Luis Sierra also returns for his 11th season as a bullpen catcher.
McKinven came over from the Brewers last season after five seasons on Milwaukee’s coaching staff. Under his guidance in 2024, the Brewers allowed the fourth-fewest runs (641) in the majors. McKinven served as Milwaukee’s associate pitching, catching, and strategy coach from 2021-23 and major league coach in 2020. With the departure of catching coach Drew Butera, McKinven will be taking on more in-game responsibilities with Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero.
McKeithan returns for a second season after serving as the Cincinnati Reds’ hitting coach for two seasons. He originally joined the Reds organization as the assistant hitting coach before the 2022 season.
Wise will enter his third season with the club after spending four seasons on staff with the Angels, including three as their pitching coach. He is the only remaining staff member who served under Pedro Grifol. Jirschele is a long-time organization coach who remains in the role he’s had since the White Sox fired Pedro Grifol and most of his ancillary staff during the 2024 season.
Newcomers to the Staff
Both Bove and Shomon were previously discussed when the White Sox first made their hirings official. Bove, 37, replaces Ethan Katz as a modern, data-driven pitching coach hired from the Kansas City Royals, where he spent three seasons as assistant pitching coach/director of major league strategy. He has been lauded for blending analytics, biomechanics, and hands-on coaching. Shomon most recently spent the 2025 season in Miami as the team’s assistant hitting coach under first-year manager Clayton McCullough. Most notable this year in Miami was former Orioles prospect Kyle Stowers putting together a 149 wRC+, 4.0 fWAR, All-Star campaign after struggling for parts of three seasons in Baltimore. He began his coaching career with the Schaumburg Boomers and got his first professional experience with Minnesota.
Another former Schaumburg Boomer joining the staff is Major League Assistant Tony Medina, who has spent the past few seasons in various roles with the Boomers, including hitting coach and director of analytics. It does not appear his time with the Boomers overlapped with Shomon’s, and he has held various player development and analytics roles with Texas, Kansas City, and Houston. What his day-to-day role looks like on staff is unclear – similar to the role of Offensive Coordinator that Grady Sizemore held.
As the White Sox overhaul their staff of pitching coaches, the team is moving to a three-coach system for the first time with the hiring of assistant pitching coach Bobby Hearn. The 29-year-old is a fast-rising coach who joins the staff after two seasons with the Minnesota Twins organization, where he worked as an assistant pitching coordinator (2025) and complex league pitching coordinator (2024). Hearn also coached at Davidson College and pitched collegiately at Wake Forest University, serving as team captain in his final season – and teammate to Shane Smith during his freshman season – before graduating cum laude in finance and earning a master’s in accounting. So, he wasn’t in baseball previously for the money.
Leger, 43, is a longtime minor-league manager who has spent time coaching with the Mets (2010-2017) and Cardinals (2018-2025). He is currently managing Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League. With the Cardinals, he served as an assistant field and baserunning coordinator (2025), Double-A manager (2021-2024), and Latin American field and academy development coordinator (2018-2020). He’s managed teams to multiple postseason appearances and earned South Atlantic League Manager of the Year honors.
Denorfia represents the first true hire that seems to be one of “Will Venable’s guys.” The two were teammates back when both were playing in San Diego. A former 10-year outfielder, Denorfia’s full résumé includes playing for Cincinnati, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle, and the Cubs before transitioning to coaching. After retiring, he worked in the Cubs front office and on their coaching staff and managed Double-A Hartford in the Rockies system from 2021-2023. Most recently, Denorfia served in a similar capacity to the one he will serve on Venable’s staff, operating as the Rockies’ outfield and baserunning coordinator from 2024-2025.
Finally, Markinson was Northwestern University’s starting catcher this season, where he posted a .266 average with five home runs across 52 games. The Phillies had previously signed Markinson to a minor-league contract in July of this year, but he retired in November after a short stint with their FCL team. He will replace Miguel Gonzalez in this role.
Stay tuned for more updates as the White Sox provide more clarity on each of these coaches’ roles.
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Featured Image: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
