The Athletics are moving on from hitting coach Chris Cron and quality control coach Marcus Jensen, reports Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The club is pursuing replacements for both positions.
Cron has been with the organization since 2022. He spent two seasons as an assistant hitting coach. The “assistant” tag was dropped from his title in 2024. Cron worked alongside hitting coach Mike Aldrete for the past three seasons. He has two sons who are former big leaguers, C.J. Cron and Kevin Cron.
The A’s ranked 20th in scoring this season. It was a disappointing follow-up to their strong showing in 2025, when they ranked top 12 in runs for the first time since 2021. The club’s offensive output was especially underwhelming considering its home venue. The A’s have played in hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park for the past two years. It’s been the second-most favorable hitting environment per Statcast’s Park Factor metric, behind only Coors Field.
Major injuries to important bats hurt the A’s offense in 2026. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Shea Langeliers all missed significant time. Jacob Wilson had three separate stints on the IL. The shoulder injury that ended his season ultimately required surgery. With better health in 2027, the Athletics should bounce back on offense.
Jensen has been in the A’s organization for two decades. After his playing career ended, he got a job as the hitting coach with the club’s Rookie ball affiliate in 2007. He was promoted to manager in 2009, a gig he held through the 2013 season.
Jensen was bumped up to the major league staff in 2015. He’s operated as a catching coach, assistant hitting coach, and bullpen coach during his time with the A’s. Jensen has been the quality control coach since the 2023 season.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
