Miami Marlins announce updates to baseball operations leadership structure

MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced hires to the organization’s Baseball Operations leadership structure, naming Joe Migliaccio as Director of Hitting and Bill Hezel as Director of Pitching. Additionally, the Miami Marlins have elevated Maxx Garrett to Director of Catching.

Migliaccio, 33, has been named Director of Hitting after spending the past six seasons in various roles with the New York Yankees organization. In this new strategic management position, Migliaccio will lead the organization’s hitting infrastructure and hitting development across all levels. He most recently served as the Yankees Minor League Hitting Coordinator (2022-24) after working as Hitting Coach at several Yankees Minor League affiliates, including Double-A Somerset (2021) and High-A Tampa (2019-20). Before joining the Yankees, he served as Hitting Coach at the University of Iowa (2018), Graduate Assistant at the University of Missouri (2017), Volunteer Assistant Coach at Southeast Missouri State University (2016), Volunteer Assistant at Siena College (2014-15), and Assistant Coach with the Liberal Bees in the Jayhawk Baseball League (2014). A native of West Melbourne, Fla., he also played as an infielder at Florida International University (2009-10), Parkland College (2010-12), and Oral Roberts University (2012-14).

Hezel, 38, joins the organization as Director of Pitching after spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He started his tenure with the Angels as Assistant Major League Pitching Coach (2023) before transitioning to Pitching Integration Strategist this past campaign. The Hackettstown, N.J. native previously spent five years working in various capacities for Driveline Baseball in Seattle, Wash., including as Director of Pitching (2020-22), while also serving as a Pitching Consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies (2020-21). A former collegiate baseball player at Lehigh University (2006-07) and East Stroudsburg University (2008-09), Hezel began his coaching career with Northampton Community College, working as the team's Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator (2012-2016). He also spent time as Pitching Coach for the Quakertown Blazers in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (2016) before serving as the Pitching Coach at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa. (2017-18).

Garrett, 34, has been elevated to Director of Catching after joining Miami last year as Hitting and Catching Coordinator. Before joining the Marlins organization, he spent five years at Driveline Baseball as the Lead Hitting Trainer and Catching Trainer. While at Driveline, Garrett oversaw the Washington location’s hitting department, managing the training plans for their highest-level athletes and leveraging data for designing, implementing, and executing hitting and catching programs. The Kennewick, Wash. native played Division I baseball at Gonzaga University in 2011-12 before spending six years in independent leagues including the Frontier League and the American Association.