Feb 19, 2025; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres hitting coach Victor Rodriguez poses for a portrait during Media Day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – The Padres are once again in the market for a hitting coach.
Victor Rodriguez, who spent the past two seasons guiding San Diego’s offense, is finalizing a deal to become the Houston Astros’ next hitting coach, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. The move marks the end of a short but notable tenure in which the veteran instructor helped the Padres reach historic highs — and frustrating lows — at the plate.
Rodriguez’s departure continues a revolving-door trend that’s become almost routine at Petco Park. The Padres are preparing to hire their 10th hitting coach since 2015 and will do so under their fourth manager in seven seasons. The timing underscores the team’s transitional offseason, as the front office continues its search for a replacement for Mike Shildt, who abruptly retired in October.
Rodriguez, 63, brought five decades of experience as a player and coach to San Diego, including stints with the Guardians and Red Sox organizations. In 2024 — his first season with the Padres — the club led the majors in batting average (.263) for the first time in franchise history and tied the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top spot in hits (1,456). That same year, three Padres — Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Jurickson Profar — won Silver Slugger Awards, matching a team record.
The 2025 season told a different story. While the Padres remained among baseball’s toughest teams to strike out, their power all but vanished. San Diego finished 28th in home runs and 18th in runs scored, producing a team slash line of .252/.321/.390 — down from .263/.324/.420 the year before. The club’s offensive identity shifted toward small ball, with the fewest strikeouts and most sacrifices in MLB over the past two seasons.
That contact-heavy approach could explain the Astros’ interest in Rodriguez. Houston’s offense remains potent but aging, and the team’s hiring of Rodriguez might signal a philosophical shift toward a more balanced, situational brand of hitting.
For San Diego, Rodriguez’s exit leaves another hole to fill in an offseason already full of uncertainty. The next manager — whoever that may be — is expected to have a hand in choosing his own staff, and many coaches are reportedly exploring options elsewhere before the team’s leadership is finalized.
Rodriguez’s departure also closes another chapter in a long baseball life. A New York native, he’s been in professional baseball for 50 seasons, including 19 as a player across seven organizations. He appeared in 17 major league games with Baltimore and Minnesota, hitting .429 (12-for-28), and logged nearly 1,800 minor league games, batting .295 with 102 home runs and 774 RBIs.
