But that doesn’t mean there won’t be changes on the offensive side in the coming year.
The Royals will not renew the contracts of assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon for 2026, general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com on Sunday.
“I want to thank Keoni and Joe for what they’ve done with us, Keoni helping us through a tough 2023 and both of them helping us elevate in ‘24, and still did some nice things this year,” Picollo said. “They’re both really good, tireless workers. They’re going to end up in a good spot somewhere in the game. They’re both well respected, and we appreciate what they did with us.”
Picollo and manager Matt Quatraro delivered news last week at their end-of-season press conference that Zumwalt will be returning as the Royals’ hitting coach in 2026, but then acknowledged that changes are needed next year. They hinted that there would be tweaks to the staff as the Royals evaluate their processes and determine what they need to help get the most out of their roster – which also needs upgrading, especially on the margins.
The 2025 Royals scored 4.02 runs per game, which ranked 26th in MLB. As a team, they slashed .247/.309/.397, while their 93 wRC+ was tied for 22nd. With runners in scoring position, the Royals hit .255 (tied for 12th) with a .723 OPS (21st).
Kansas City hit better in the second half, slashing .251/.322/.430, while the production with runners in scoring position improved, with an .864 OPS post-All Star break following a .627 OPS before the break. The Royals also saw their star hitters produce, with Bobby Witt Jr. posting an .852 OPS, Salvador Perez hitting 30 homers for the second time in his career, Vinnie Pasquantino putting together a career year with 32 homers and 113 RBIs and Maikel Garcia becoming an All-Star.
All of them have credited Zumwalt and the staff with getting them prepared to produce. There is deep trust there, and the core of the Royals’ lineup is those four players.
But they’ll need better supporting tools throughout the lineup in 2026 – and Zumwalt will have a different supporting cast, too.
How the Royals replace DeRenne and Dillon remains to be seen, but they’ll be looking to diversify and balance out the knowledge they have on the staff – not unlike how their pitching department is configured among pitching coach Brian Sweeney, assistant pitching coach Zach Bove and bullpen coach Mitch Stetter, all of whom bring unique knowledge and backgrounds to help pitchers.
On the hitting side, that likely includes someone who has a deep analytical and biomechanical understanding of hitters and their swings. The Royals could also find someone with more prior playing experience who could relate to hitters on the field. There could be an analyst addition.
“We’re going to be looking for a diversity in thought, diversity in experience and a balance amongst the hitting department that allows us to have the greatest success we can possibly have based on coaching backgrounds,” Picollo said.
“As we get into the interview process, we’ll have a better idea and understanding of the talents of the people we are interviewing, which will allow us to make the best decisions on who and how many people will be on our staff.”
DeRenne, 46, was hired as the Royals’ Minor League assistant hitting coordinator in 2020 and worked closely alongside Zumwalt with young Kansas City prospects coming up through the system. DeRenne joined the Royals’ Major League staff as the assistant hitting coach for the 2022 season and kept that role when Zumwalt took over as hitting coach in May of that year.
Prior to joining the Royals, DeRenne was the Cubs’ Triple-A hitting coach in 2019 following a seven-year tenure in the Pirates organization that included stints as the hitting coach at all levels in the Minors. DeRenne played in the Minors for eight seasons from 2000-06 and ‘10.
Dillon, 50, joined the Royals as another hitting voice in their dugout ahead of the ‘24 season. He brought a different and outside perspective following previous stints on two Major League coaching staffs, including with the Phillies from 2020-21 and the Nationals from 2018-19, when Washington won the 2019 World Series. Dillon also played professionally for 12 seasons, including parts of four seasons in the Majors.
