P.J. Pilittere to join Marcus Thames as Yankees’ hitting coach

Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader

Suzyn Waldman reported Wednesday on her radio appearance that P.J. Pilittere will be joining Aaron Boone's staff. He will serve alongside the returning Marcus Thames as a hitting coach. Brendan Kuty of the NJ Advanced Media confirms.

Pilittere spent 2017 in Triple-A as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s hitting coach. He held the same position in 2015-16 for Double-A Trenton, so he is very familiar with many of the team's young hitters. This will be his seventh season as a coach in the Yankees' organization, he also served as hitting coach with High-A Advanced Tampa (2014), Class-A Charleston (2013), and in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League (2012).

A lifelong Yankee, Pilittere was drafted by the team in 2004 and spent eight season in the Minors. The former catcher played 470 games, hitting .264 and finishing his career in 2011 before moving into coaching.

Pilittere will take the place of Alan Cockrell, who served as head hitting coach last year with Thames assisting him.