Blue Jays hire former Astros' coach Dave Hudgens as new bench boss

After the Blue Jays named Charlie Montoyo as the club’s new manager, replacing John Gibbons in Toronto’s dugout, the rest of the Blue Jays new coach staff is beginning to take shape.

Toronto announced the hiring of its new bench coach on Wednesday evening, tapping former Houston Astros’ hitting coach Dave Hudgens for the job.

Hudgens, who had spent the past four seasons in Houston, was part of the Astros’ World Series Championship run in 2017.

The Blue Jays released a statement regarding their new staffer:

“Dave Hudgens brings an exceptional coaching background to our organization, including a wealth of experience and the ability to combine his baseball knowledge with a forward-thinking approach to help our team,” said Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins.

“He’s a consummate learner and teacher at heart and he comes highly recommended by his peers.”

Before joining the Astros, Hudgens served as hitting coach for the New York Mets from 2011 to 2014. He held the same position with the Oakland Athletics prior to joining the Mets.

Hudgens will take over for former hitting coach Brock Jacoby, who was fired along with first base coach Tim Leiper last weekend.

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