MLB names Michael Hill and Raul Ibañez senior vice presidents, on-field operations

Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that Major League Baseball has named longtime baseball operations executive Michael Hill and former All-Star Raul Ibañez as Senior Vice Presidents of On-Field Operations. Hill and Ibañez, who will report to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Morgan Sword, will serve in key roles overseeing umpiring, discipline and other on-field issues. In addition, MLB has hired former Major League manager Bo Porter and former Major League players Joe Martinez and Rajai Davis to roles in its Baseball Operations Department.

Hill will oversee MLB’s umpiring and on-field discipline at both the Major and Minor league levels. Hill’s 27-year front office career includes 18 years with the Miami Marlins franchise, with seven seasons (2014-2020) as President of Baseball Operations and the previous six as General Manager (2008-2013). In 2020, the Marlins reached the Postseason and won their Wild Card Series vs. the Chicago Cubs. Prior to joining the Marlins ahead of their 2003 World Series Championship season, Hill served as the Director of Player Development for the Colorado Rockies for three seasons. Hill began his career in 1995 in the scouting and player development departments of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, after playing three seasons in the minor leagues in the systems of the Texas Rangers and the Cincinnati Reds. The Cincinnati native is a 1993 graduate of Harvard, where he was the captain of the Crimson baseball team, as well as a football player.

Ibañez, who most recently served as a Special Assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will work on issues related to rules, equipment and on-field technology. He will also contribute to MLB’s initiatives in scouting and amateur baseball. Ibañez assembled a 19-year career in the Major Leagues, including with the Seattle Mariners (1996-2000, 2004-2008, 2013), the Kansas City Royals (2001-2003, 2014) and the Philadelphia Phillies (2009-2011). The slugger topped 100 RBI in a season four times and batted .272 in his career with 305 home runs and 1,207 RBI. The outfielder was a 2009 National League All-Star with the pennant-winning Phillies, for whom he collected 13 RBI in 15 Postseason games. As a member of the New York Yankees, he pinch-hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, and followed up with a game-winning blast in the 12th in Game Three of the 2012 Division Series vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

In addition to Hill and Ibañez, Major League Baseball has further strengthened its group of former players and officials who will tend to on-field matters and serve as liaisons to Major League Clubs, players and umpires.

Commissioner Manfred said: “We are excited that Mike and Raul, two highly respected figures among their peers, will lead many of our game’s most significant Baseball Operations initiatives. Joe, Rajai and Bo bolster our group of on-field representatives to Clubs, along with Gregor and Nick, and we look forward to their perspectives and contributions to our efforts.”

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