What happened: The Kansas City Royals finalized their three-man hitting structure, pairing newcomer Hunter Mense with Marcus Thames as co-hitting coaches. Connor Dawson will serve as the club's offensive coordinator under the updated hierarchy.

Why it matters: The division of responsibilities formalizes Kansas City's offensive leadership heading into the winter. Thames and Mense will direct daily mechanical and batting cage instruction, while Dawson oversees game planning and run-scoring strategy. The tiered setup reflects a growing league-wide trend of distributing hitting duties across multiple specialized coaches.

What to watch: Kansas City enters the offseason with its major league coaching staff in place ahead of the December winter meetings. The front office will now direct attention to free agency and roster construction.