Counting on Rowson as a power source

New bench coach was behind Twins’ record-setting homer display in 2019

MIAMI — James Rowson knows a thing or two about home runs.

Having spent the past two years as the Twins hitting coach, the 43-year-old assistant helped guide Minnesota hitters to a record-breaking 307 homers this season.

Trading in the North Star State for South Florida, Rowson is hoping to see a similar power renaissance with the Miami Marlins. On Thursday, Rowson was officially introduced as the team’s new bench coach. In addition to those responsibilities, he’ll also have input on hitting throughout the organization.

“I think you always get excited about opportunities in the game,” Rowson said. “You look at the talent the team has [been] getting together. Obviously you start seeing some of these young, talented players come, and you hear the vision and get excited about a vision to win world championships consistently.”

Following a 57-105 season, Miami is seeking a major offensive improvement after ranking near the bottom of the major leagues in most categories. In 2019, the Marlins were last in home runs and posted the second-fewest runs.

Despite the power struggles, Rowson sees parallels

to his time in Minnesota.

“It’s pretty cool because a few years ago [Minnesota] wasn’t an organization that set home run records, so I’ve had an opportunity to see how things develop,” Rowson said. “How young players move a long, how a team can come together from one spot and consistently get a little bit better.

“I look at the club here and I see very similar situation. It’s at a point where you have some players who have major-league experience and some guys who are getting some major-league experience, and now we’re trying to put it together.”

Like many with the Marlins, Rowson has ties to the New York Yankees, having served as a minor-league hitting instructor from 2014-16. During that time he worked closely with Gary Denbo, who currently serves as vice president of player development and scouting. All-Star Aaron Judge was one of the power hitters to come through New York’s system during Rowson’s time with the Yankees.

“He’s had tremendous success and he has a history as a hitting coach,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said of Rowson. “He’s going to be Donnie [Mattingly]’s right hand as our bench coach with an offensive background, but our major-league hitting coaches will still oversee our hitting program.

“But when you get a man of James’ experience and ability, you’re going to try and take advantage of the entire package and his skill set.”

While the Marlins have struggled to drive the ball the past two season, they have a number of prospects with power-hitting capability. Jesus Sanchez, Monte Harrison, Lewin Diaz, JJ Bleday, Jerar Encarnacion and Jazz Chisholm are all players who could reach the majors within the next two seasons.

“One of the biggest things is you don’t try is to force it to be major leagues/minor leagues,” Rowson said of implementing hitting philosophies in the minors. “It’s the Miami Marlins. The goal is for top to bottom [to] be in sync.

“You want to have a pulse of what’s happening and you want to be able to help the guys who are coming up. Eventually they’ll play here and hopefully they’ll play a long time. The goal here is to help them as well along the way.

“Whether [you’re] talking about the plans in place [or] how we structure things in the minor leagues to come to the major leagues, it’s a group effort. I hope to be able to help.”