Marlins Make Major Coaching Changes, Give Former Yankees Coach Another Chance
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The Miami Marlins are making changes to their coaching staff as the offseason is now underway. The first is a big one with the team elevating Dillon Lawson to their full-time hitting coach.
The Marlins are also letting go of strength and conditioning coach Daniel Vega. Both moves were reported by Kevin Barral of Fish on First.
The Marlins needed change, and these moves show that the organization is moving in the right direction in terms of support of players on and off the field.
About Lawson and his Philosophy
This will not be the first time that Lawson is the full-time hitting coach of a team. Previously, Lawson held the same role beginning in the 2022 season and was fired from the role during the 2023 All Star Break when the Yankees offense was middling and the team was under .500. It's a mute point now, but is important to note that in the as-teamed tenure of Yankees General Manager Brain Cashman, Lawson was the only coach that was fired midseason.
After departing from the Yankees, Lawson then went to Boston and was on the hitting staff in that organization, both in the minors and at the MLB-level. He was part of the coaches fired when the team decided it was time to part with longtime manager Alex Cora.
That led Lawson to Miami, taking the role of a roaming hitting coach, and now takes over for Pedro Guerrero, who parted from the team following the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Lawson's approach is a super analytical coach. He promotes the drive-line method, which is a program that uses underlying metrics and data to improve a hitter's bat speed, improve the hitter's overall contact, and help hitters learn to recognize and select pitches during an at-bat to drive.
The Marlins are trending towards being a more analytical organization as a whole to be a more analytical team. As long as the Marlins players buy into the changes and the new program, it should help the Marlins going forward.
Moving on from Vega
The decision to move on from Vega is a simpler one. The team seems to see a place where they can improve on the side of helping the players and are doing so. The move makes a ton of sense given how many injures the Marlins endured in the second half of the season to many key players, like Xavier Edwards, which impacted the results of their season.
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Matthew is a writer covering the Miami Marlins for On SI. He has experience covering rumors and transactions, as well as editing, for Last Word on Sports, as well as covering MLB labor negotiations and other rumors for DiamondCentric. Matthew is close to completing a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in sports studies from Manhattanville University.