"Souza's hiring comes as a surprise. The 36-year-old has never worked on an MLB staff. He retired as a player in 2022 and spent the '25 season as a special assistant with the Rays. Souza played parts of eight big league campaigns. The righty-hitting outfielder did his best work in Tampa Bay between 2015-17, including a 30-homer showing in his final season at Tropicana Field. Souza hit 72 round-trippers overall, batting .229/.318/.411 in just under 1900 career plate appearances."
"They were top 10 in batting average and on-base percentage and had the sport's third-lowest strikeout rate, but they finished above only the Pirates and Cardinals in home runs. Petco Park remains relatively favorable for pitchers. That may have played a bit of a role in the team's pedestrian offense, but they were 23rd in scoring and 28th in homers on the road."
Padres hired Steven Souza Jr. as hitting coach and Randy Knorr as bench coach under first-year skipper Craig Stammen. Souza, 36, has no prior MLB coaching experience, retired as a player in 2022, and spent the 2025 season as a special assistant with the Rays. Souza played parts of eight major-league seasons, totaling 72 home runs with a .229/.318/.411 batting line in just under 1,900 plate appearances; his peak years came in Tampa Bay from 2015–17, including a 30-homer campaign. Souza replaces Victor Rodriguez and will lead an offense that ranked 18th in scoring despite strong average and OBP marks. Petco Park's pitcher-friendly nature and weak road power contributed to offensive shortfalls. Ryan O'Hearn and Luis Arraez are free agents, and first base represents a clear area to add power.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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