MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced the club has finalized its coaching staff for the 2026 season under Clayton McCullough, who enters his second season leading the organization, following a 79-win inaugural campaign as the club’s manager.
The 2026 Major League coaching staff retains seven members from last season: Hitting Coach Pedro Guerrero, Third Base Coach Blake Lalli, Field Coordinator Aaron Leanhardt, Bullpen Coach Brandon Mann, Pitching Coach Daniel Moskos, and Bench Coach Carson Vitale, each returning in their specific roles, while Bryson Nakamura was promoted to Miami’s Major League Strategist.
Miami announces the addition of five new staff members: Blake Butler as Infield Coach, Corbin Day and Chris Hess as Assistant Hitting Coaches, Craig Driver as First Base Coach and Catching Instructor, and Rob Marcello as Assistant Pitching Coach.
Butler, 32, joins the staff to oversee Miami’s infield defense after beginning his professional coaching career with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Minor League system in 2020. The Greensboro, N.C., native concluded his six-year stint in the Pirates’ organization by winning the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year award, guiding High-A Greensboro to consecutive playoff appearances in each of his two seasons at the helm (2024-25), including an 88-43 record last season. A former middle infielder, Butler was selected by Cincinnati in the 15th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Charleston and played three years in the Minors before coaching at Francis Marion and Davidson College.
Day, 28, joins Miami as one of two assistant hitting coaches after spending the 2025 season as an Advanced Scout, Run Production with the Twins in 2025, where he directly supported the club’s hitting coaches. Prior to serving on Minnesota’s Major League staff, Day earned his first professional coaching experience as a Hitting Coach in their Minor League system, with High-A Cedar Rapids in 2023 and Double-A Wichita in 2024. While with the High-A club, the Kernels led the Midwest League in triples (41), homers (137), runs (694), walks (634), on-base percentage (.340) and OPS (.738). A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Day played collegiately at Mount Mercy University from 2018-19 and began coaching at the college level with Mount Mercy and Kirkwood Community College.
Driver, 37, will lead Miami’s catching core and first base duties after spending the 2024-25 seasons in the Dodgers’ organization where he overlapped with McCullough. Prior to working as a catching coordinator with the Dodgers, Driver spent the 2018-19 seasons as a bullpen catcher with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Seattle, Wash., native also spent four seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2020-23), working as a first base and catching coach while also doing game strategy. A former catcher at the University of Puget Sound, Driver began his coaching career at his alma mater before stops at Central Washington University, where he earned his master’s degree, and Yale University.
Hess, 30, joins the Marlins’ assistant hitting coach tandem after five seasons with the Boston Red Sox Minor League system. After joining the organization as a coach for the Red Sox’s High-A affiliate in 2021, the North Kingstown, R.I., native made stops with the Single-A and Double-A clubs before settling in as the Double-A Portland Hitting Coach from 2024-25. The former infielder, who played three seasons in the Yankees’ Minor League system after being selected in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, began his coaching career at the University of Rhode Island, his alma mater, in 2019.
Marcello (Mar-chell-lo), 35, earns a promotion to Miami’s Assistant Pitching Coach in his second year with the organization after spending the 2025 campaign as the Pitching Coach for the Triple-A National Champion, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Marcello, who supported the Jumbo Shrimp pitching staff through their journey to the International League title, also played a key role in the development of several top prospects, including Miami Marlins Minor League Pitcher of the Year LHP Robby Snelling, and the organization’s No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, LHP Thomas White. Prior to joining the Marlins, the Roswell, Ga., native served as the San Diego Padres’ Director of Pitching for three seasons (2022-24), and as a Pitching Coach in the Seattle Mariners’ minor league system at High-A Modesto (2019-20) and Triple-A Tacoma (2021). He was selected by Philadelphia in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) and pitched one season professionally before starting his coaching career.
The Miami Marlins' 2026 regular season begins with Opening Day under the lights on Friday, March 27, against the Colorado Rockies at 7:10 p.m. Tickets are available at Marlins.com/tickets.