Miami Marlins to hire Rachel Balkovec as new director of player development
The Miami Marlins are hiring Rachel Balkovec to become their new director of player development, according to multiple reports.
The newest member of the Marlins' front office is no stranger to blazing new trails for women in a male-dominated industry.
After graduating from LSU with a master's degree in kinesiology, Balkovec took a temporary job as the strength and conditioning coordinator for the Johnson City Cardinals – the St. Louis Cardinals' Rookie league affiliate. Two years later, that role became full-time, and she was the first woman in baseball to hold the position.
The Miami Marlins are hiring Rachel Balkovec as their farm director, sources tell ESPN. She comes from the New York Yankees, where she spent the last two years as a manager in the minor leagues, the first female to do so.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 9, 2024
In 2019, the New York Yankees hired Balkovec as a Minor League hitting coach after she had spent time working for Driveline Baseball on a fellowship. She became the first woman in baseball to hold a hitting coach position.
Balkovec most recently served as the manager for the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees' Class A affiliate in Minor League Baseball. When she took that job in 2022, she was the first woman to be a full-time manager for a Major League-affiliated team.
Balkovec coached the Tarpons to a 64-62 record as their manager from 2022-23.
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Marlins minor league system
The former Yankees staffer will have her work cut out for her in taking over Miami's player development program.
MLB Pipeline ranked the Marlins' farm system at 24 out of 30 teams in August. Fangraphs is similarly low on the Marlins' minor league prospects, ranking them 26th.
In the last five years, Miami has had just two All-Stars come up through its minor league system: J.T. Realmuto (2018 All-Star) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2022). Only Chisholm is still with the team.
After making the playoffs, Miami will pick 16th in the 2024 MLB Draft, which takes place in July.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Marlins: Rachel Balkovec to be director of player development
