SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants will have a notable vacancy to fill on manager Tony Vitello’s coaching staff this offseason, as Hunter Mense is leaving the organization to become an assistant hitting coach for the Royals, sources told MLB.com on Thursday.
Mense, 42, spent four seasons as an assistant hitting coach for the Blue Jays before he was hired to serve as the Giants’ hitting coach last offseason. Mense ended up spending only one year in San Francisco, overseeing a Giants offense that slashed .245/.306/.400 with a 97 wRC+ in 2026.
Mense had close ties to Vitello, a fellow University of Missouri alum who coached him in college from 2004-06, but joining the Royals will allow him to be closer to his family.