The Minnesota Twins announced their coaching staff for the 2019 season under new Manager Rocco Baldelli on Friday. Bench Coach Derek Shelton, Hitting Coach James Rowson, and Assistant Hitting Coach Rudy Hernandez will all remain in their roles for next season.
Joining Baldelli's coaching staff will be Pitching Coach Wes Johnson, Third Base Coach Tony Diaz, Assistant Pitching Coach Jeremy Hefner, and First Base Coach Tommy Watkins.
Johnson, 41, spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach for the University of Arkansas. He previously served as pitching coach at the collegiate level for Mississippi State University (2016), Dallas Baptist University (2012-15) and the University of Central Arkansas (2010-11). The Sherwood, Arkansas native helped lead Mississippi State to the 2016 SEC regular season title and reached the NCAA Super Regionals in his only season for the Bulldogs. Johnson began his coaching career at the high school and American Legion level and brings 21 years of coaching experience to Minnesota in 2019.
Diaz, 41, spent the last two seasons as first base coach for the Colorado Rockies. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native has spent 19 seasons as a major league coach, minor league coach and a supervisor within the Rockies organization. He spent four seasons as Rookie-Level Grand Junction's supervisor of development (2013-16), six seasons as manager between Grand Junction (2012) and Rookie-Level Casper (2007-11), six seasons as hitting coach for Casper (2001-06), and one season as hitting coach for the AZL Rockies (2000). In 2013, he was inducted to the Pioneer League Hall of Fame and named Colorado's Player Development "Man of the Year" in 2002. Additionally, Diaz authored the manual Practical English for Latin Players.
Hefner, 32, spent the last two seasons as a Major League Advance Scout within the Twins organization, a role in which he oversaw the Advance process and helped with the development of major league players. The Perkins, Oklahoma native pitched 11 seasons professionally, including two seasons in the major leagues with the New York Mets from 2012-13, going 8-15 with a 4.65 ERA (224.1 IP, 116 ER) in 50 games (36 starts). 
Watkins, 38, spent the 2018 season as manager for Single-A Ft. Myers and 2017 as manager for Double-A Chattanooga. He spent seven seasons as a hitting coach in the Twins system, including 2016 with Chattanooga and 2010-15 with Ft. Myers. He was selected by Minnesota in the 38th round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft from Riverdale High School in Florida. He played 12 seasons in the Twins organization and appeared in nine games for the Twins in 2007, playing a majority at third base prior to being disabled with a lower abdominal strain in late August. He finished his minor league career hitting .248 with 134 doubles, 31 home runs, 290 RBI and 426 runs scored in the Twins system from 1998-2009.
The Twins are still looking to hire one additional coach.