After a series of sweeping changes to the staff, the search for the next hitting and pitching coaches of the Chicago White Sox appears to be coming to an end. According to James Fegan of Sox Machine, the White Sox will be hiring Marlins assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon to lead the offense, and Royals assistant pitching coach Zach Bove to run the pitching staff. The White Sox have announced the Bove hiring, and the Shomon hiring is expected to be announced later this week. Per the team, bullpen coach Matt Wise will also return in 2026.
Shomon, a Chicago-area native, was on the coaching staff of the independent Schaumburg Boomers before landing a job in the Minnesota Twins organization. He departed for the Marlins organization in 2025, spending just one season as their assistant hitting coach before reportedly taking the lead hitting coach job in Chicago.
Zach Bove also began his coaching career in the Twins organization before taking a job in Kansas City in 2023. Known for his focus on biomechanics, and his creative strategies for getting the most out of his pitchers, Bove’s strengths seem to align with those of White Sox pitching director Brian Bannister despite the fact that the two have never crossed paths organizationally. His ability to learn on the fly and hands-on work with pitchers caused Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney to refer to him as a “Swiss-Army knife”.
Neither Shomon nor Bove have strong ties to Chris Getz or any other member of the White Sox front office, making the hirings rather surprising. It’s also important to note that outside of Shomon being a local product, neither have ties to the White Sox organization. Both coaches seemingly impressed Getz and his staff during the interview process.
Both new White Sox coaches have a promising history
When it comes to track record, both Shomon and Bove come from moderate success. The Marlins .711 team OPS was good for 17th in baseball in 2025, but given the roster of young players and relatively unknown commodities, finishing as a middle-of-the-road offense was about as much as the Marlins could hope for. The Royals put up top-ten finishes in team ERA in both of Bove’s seasons, finishing sixth in 2025 (3.73) and eighth in 2024 (3.76). The Royals have gotten the most out of their veteran pitchers the past couple seasons and had a couple surprising breakouts, so Bove’s recent track record looks promising.
As far as I’m concerned, any outside-the-organization hire of a modern, analytical thinker is a positive step for the White Sox, who are notorious for being behind the times in just about every way. It’s unknown whether Shomon and Bove will have an immediate impact on the success of the big league roster, but it’s another step in the right direction for Chris Getz, who continues to move the White Sox into the 21st century.