The Toronto Blue Jays have added a few more members to their coaching staff.
On Monday evening, it was announced by the team’s Twitter account that they’ve officially welcomed Lou Iannotti, Graham Johnson, and Sam Greene to the coaching staff.
The news of Iannotti joining the Blue Jays was announced earlier this month by TSN’s Scott Mitchell. He spent three seasons at Quinnipiac University and played professionally in the Frontier League. However, the 32-year-old was the hitting coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers most recently. Iannotti will serve as the team’s assistant hitting coach, replacing Matt Hague.
According to Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sam Greene spent last season as the Blue Jays’ “senior pitching research specialist”, but has been in the organization since 2021. Although he’s from the City of Brotherly Love, he graduated from Montréal’s McGill University with a degree in Management in Analytics. Greene will serve as the Blue Jays’ assistant pitching coach this season. Moreover, he pitched for McGill University as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club in the Intercounty Baseball League.
As for Graham Johnson, the 35-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by the Florida Marlins out of Westlake High School in California. In five minor league seasons from 2008 until 2012, he posted a 6.05 ERA in 254.1 innings pitched between rookie ball, Single-A, and High-A. In 2013, he pitched in the Frontier League before pitching in the American Association in 2016 with two different teams. He most recently served as Morehead State’s pitching coach and assistant pitching coach.
These three players will join John Schneider at the helm of the 2025 Blue Jays. Don Mattingly remains with the Jays but will be the team’s bench coach instead of their hitting coordinator. DeMarlo Hale is the Blue Jays associate manager, while the tenured Pete Walker serves as the team’s pitching coach.
David Popkins is the team’s new hitting coach, with Mark Budzinski and Carlos Febles returning as the two base coaches. Hunter Mense is one of two assistant hitting coaches. Moreover, John Lannan (not to be confused with The Beatles co-lead vocalist John Lennon) will serve as the Blue Jays’ major league mental performance coach.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.