The Los Angeles Dodgers have a new hitting coach after the sudden, unexpected departure of former hitting coach Aaron Bates last week.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced the hiring of Pedro Guerrero (not that one) as the team’s new co-hitting coach alongside longtime coach Robert Van Scoyoc.
Guerrero, 37, joins the Dodgers organization after holding the same position the past two seasons with the Miami Marlins.
Guerrero previously worked within the Dodgers organization as a bench coach at the Rookie-advanced level in the minors. He spent his professional playing career in the Dodgers organization as well, appearing in eight Minor League seasons form 2006-13, without ever breaking through to the Majors.
Guerrero and the Marlins parted ways back in September after the conclusion of the regular season. The Marlins finished the 2026 season with an 80-82 record, the second-highest win total Miami has recorded since 2010.
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Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix described Guerrero as a “wonderful human being” who did a “tremendous” job, but said it was time for a new voice in the clubhouse.
“We’re going to miss having him around, and really appreciate everything that Pedro gave to us,” Bendix said at the time.
Pedro Guerrero had success with Miami
While the Marlins failed to make the postseason for the third-consecutive season, the team’s hitting stats appear to paint a picture of upward trajectory on one of the youngest teams in the sport.
According to MLB.com, the Marlins’ 2026 hitting stats look like this:
- Batting average: .249 (7th)
- On-base percentage: .326 (5th)
- Hits: 1,347 (9th)
- OPS: .726 (9th)
- Slugging percentage: .400 (16th)
- Runs scored: 715 (18th)
Guerrero is the only member of the Clayton McCullough’s 2026 coaching staff that won’t be returning for 2027.
Coincidentally, McCullough knows former Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates very well, having both been members of Dave Roberts’ staff for a decade each. It’s a logical potential landing spot for Bates, who will not be with the Dodgers for the first time in at least 12 years.
Bates and Los Angeles parted ways last week after the two sides couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.
Bates told the Los Angeles Times that he didn’t believe the initial offer from the team was competitive for a coach who’d been part of three World Series-winning teams. Bates told the Times that he’s been “talking to many different teams,” and described his new freedom “exciting.”
Manny Ramirez will not be next Dodgers hitting coach
The arrival of Guerrero to Los Angeles all but ends any speculation that a former Dodger Major Leaguer could take up the mantle.
Justin Turner, Adrián González and J.D. Martinez were names that some fans had floated.
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Manny Ramirez, a one-time Dodger who hit 555 home runs in his career, and is widely regarded as having one of the purest swings in modern history, has been outspoken about his desire to be a Major League hitting coach.
Unless something changes, Ramirez’s dreams of being an MLB hitting coach might have to remain on pause.
According to FanGraphs, there are three hitting coach openings across the league, all of which are Dodger rivals: the Los Angeles Angels, the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees.
There are a handful of assistant hitting coaches vacancies as well.
New hitting coach Pedro Guerrero shares the name of the former Dodgers All-Star from the late 1980s. Both are from San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.
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