"Outfield is my thing" : Kevin Kiermaier embraces new coaching role with Blue Jays

Kevin Kiermaier, the four-time Gold Glove-winning outfielder, has hung up his cleats for a clipboard to join the Toronto Blue Jays coaching staff as a special assistant and outfield guru. It appears the man that wowed fans with his impossible catches and laser-accurate throws is now imparting that magic to the next generation of outfielders.

Kevin Kiermaier, freshly retired after a season under the Jays, took a moment to explain why he is looking toward coaching: Outfield is his thing and he wants to teach it. On MLB Network, he was adamant: He wants to impart the knowledge he has garnered over years of chasing fly balls and saving runs so that the next group of players can achieve their potential.
Kiermaier, with that smile that could make any Blue Jays fan's heart skip a beat, said: "Outfield is my thing, and I just wanna teach it to the next group of players coming up." Although he never wowed anyone with his offensive numbers (career-low .246 hitter, for the stat geeks), Kiermaier was in a whole different ball park altogether with his defense.

Consistency was really what defined him; making jaw-dropping plays look routine won him Gold Gloves along the way, including one for his efforts with the Blue Jays in 2023. Grace and precision in roaming the outfield are what make him the perfect fit for the role. After all, whom better than the guy who could almost predict the path of a baseball with the same accuracy as a magician reading through a crystal ball to teach the finer points of reading a fly ball?

Kiermaier's coaching position will surely benefit Toronto's outfield players. Having been on the biggest stage assisting the Rays to the World Series in 2020, he brings not only technical skills, but the wisdom that comes from playoff-level pressure.
The Jays find themselves with bona fide outfield expertise on the staff, some fueled with enough fire for it to turn their next crop of outfielders into Gold Glove contenders. While switching from player to coach might be a substantial transition, for Kevin Kiermaier, it is just one more opportunity to fly high.