Former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Pat Burrell landed his first major-league coaching job on Friday as the San Francisco Giants named the two-time World Series champion one of their co-hitting coaches.
Burrell, 47, will join San Francisco’s staff under new manager Bob Melvin, working alongside fellow hitting coach Justin Viele and assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero. He had been serving as a hitting instructor in the Giants minor-league system since the 2020 season.
The first overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Phillies, Burrell was Philadelphia’s primary left fielder from 2000 until 2008. The right-handed hitter hit 251 home runs as a Phillie in nine seasons and won the 2008 World Series with the club. He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2015.
Following the 2008 championship season, Burrell signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, but was designated for assignment in May 2010 and became a free agent. He signed with San Francisco, becoming a contributor as the Giants won the 2010 World Series. Burrell played the final year of his career with the Giants in 2011.
Now, after a stint of coaching on a roving basis in the minors, Burrell will return to the Giants dugout as part of Melvin’s staff as the three-time Manager of the Year comes to San Francisco following a two-year run as San Diego Padres manager.