The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to make any changes that improve their team, and that includes the coaching staff. A lot of the same coaching staff was announced to be returning in 2026, but a change they have made is the assistant hitting coach.
Edwar Gonzalez was named the new assistant hitting coach on Tuesday, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The news comes after Dustin Lind was hired as the new lead hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles. It was a quick turnaround as Lind departed just four days prior on Nov. 7. Gonzalez will now work alongside Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long for at least the 2026 season.
Lind, 37, was in his role with the Phillies in both 2024 and 2025 before being hired by the Orioles. Gonzalez, 42, will fill that role immediately after being promoted from being the Phillies' minor league director of hitting development this past season.
Phillies promote Edwar Gonzalez as new assistant hitting coach with young hitters on their way to majors
Gonzalez should be of help to the Phillies in his new role. He joined the organization in 2023, working as the Latin America hitting coordinator and special advisor to international scouting. He then became the assistant director of hitting development in 2024.
The Phillies are in an interesting position when it comes to not only their coaching staff but also their MLB roster. Gonzalez led the charge with the minor league hitters last season, and it could be the perfect time with some notable names looking to potentially debut in 2026. The Phillies may be in the process of veering away from a predominantly veteran squad and starting to inject some younger talent into the clubhouse starting next season.
The move to promote Gonzalez was a move the Phillies felt they had to make. Does it mean that the rookies who are looking to debut will promptly flourish? No, but what it may be doing instead is setting the Phillies up better from a hitting perspective to get the young players ready sooner rather than later.
He has a plethora of experience outside just the Phillies organization, working in the New York Yankees organization from 2011 to 2019 and then with the Miami Marlins from 2020 to 2022. The Phillies may have needed a space to fill, but Gonzalez seems worthy of the spot.