Orioles hiring Donnie Ecker as bench coach

New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has moved quickly to fill out his coaching staff.

Donnie Ecker, who was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Texas Rangers, will be the Orioles’ bench coach in 2026.

Albernaz and the 39-year-old Ecker worked together with the San Francisco Giants in 2020 and 2021. Ecker was a hitting coach for the Giants.

The 39-year-old Ecker was the Rangers’ bench coach and offensive coordinator from 2022-2024 but was removed as bench coach after the 2024 season so he could focus on his hitting duties. He was dismissed on May 4^th and replaced by Bret Boone.

Ecker played 36 games in Texas’ organization in 2007 and 2008. He played Independent ball in 2010 before turning to coaching.

He coached in high school and college before joining St. Louis as a minor league coach in 2015. After three seasons in the Cardinals’ organization, Ecker served as an assistant hitting coach for Cincinnati in 2019.

Ecker joins Dustin Lind, who was hired last week as the lead hitting coach, and Jason Bourgeois, who’ll be the first base coach.

Last season’s bench coach, Robinson Chirinos, hitting coaches Cody Asche, Tommy Joseph and Sherman Johnson and first base coach Anthony Sanders have left the organization.

The Orioles will hire hitting coaches to work under Lind.

There’s been no word on the status of pitching coach Drew French, assistant pitching coach Ryan Klimek and bullpen coach Mitch Plassmeyer, third base coach Buck Britton, development coach Grant Anders, and senior advisor John Mabry.

News of Ecker’s hire was first reported by The Baltimore Sun and confirmed by an industry source.

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