Orioles complete 2024 coaching staff; French is new pitching coach, Plassmeyer assistant

The Orioles completed their 2024 coaching staff on Friday, adding two new coaches and announcing the previously reported hiring of Drew French as their pitching coach.

French joins the Orioles from the Atlanta Braves, where he had been their bullpen coach for the past three seasons. He’d spent five seasons before that as a coach in the Houston organization, where he worked with former pitching coach and current director of pitching Chris Holt, and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

Mitch Plassmeyer, who had been the team’s minor league pitching coordinator for the past two seasons, was promoted to assistant pitching coach.

Grant Anders, who was the major league player development analyst for the past two seasons, was named major league development coach.

The Orioles will have a team-record 12 coaches to assist manager Brandon Hyde in 2024.

The other nine coaches return: Cody Asche (offensive strategy coach, second season), Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller (co-hitting coaches, third seasons), Tim Cossins (major league field coordinator/catching instructor, sixth season), Fredi González (bench coach, fifth season), José Hernandez (major league coach, sixth season), Ryan Klimek (pitching strategy coach, second season), Tony Mansolino (third base coach, fourth season), and Anthony Sanders (first base coach, fifth season).

Trainers Brian Ebel, Mark Shires, Patrick Wesley and Chris Poole will return, and so will physical therapist Kyle Corrick, massage therapist Aquiles Torrealba, head of strength and performance Nick White, strength and conditioning coach Trey Weidman, assistant strength and conditioning coach Carlos González and sports performance analyst Rogelio Realzola.

Ben Cahart and Joel Polance will return as bullpen catchers, and Rubén Francisca will return as batting practice pitcher.