Aggies Name Weiner to Lead Pitching Staff
Jul 10, 2023 | Baseball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle has announced the hiring of Max Weiner as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2024 season.
Weiner will oversee the Aggie pitching staff and comes to Aggieland from the Seattle Mariners where he has served as the organization's pitching coordinator since December of 2018.
"We are excited to welcome Max to Aggieland and look forward to his impact on the growth and development of our pitching staff both on and off the field," Schlossnagle said. "He has been at the forefront of the incredible transformation of the Seattle Mariners organization over the past few years."
The Mariners have been amid a pitching renaissance since bringing Weiner into the fold ahead of the 2019 season after he held a position for one year as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians organization.
In the four years since his hire, Seattle has had eight pitchers ranked as Top 100 prospects and boasts the only MLB rotation in modern history with a rotation of four homegrown starters under the age of 26, all who spent no more than two seasons in the minors.
That group includes Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, who pitched for the Aggies from 2019 to 2021 before being selected by the Mariners in the 2021 MLB Draft. Miller, who fast-tracked his way through the Mariners system, joined the Seattle rotation earlier this season.
"Max was a huge influence on my development once I got to pro ball," Miller said. "He helped me out tremendously both on and off the field from the mental aspects of pitching to the physical aspect of sweeping a slider. He's a huge reason I was able to go from a fourth-round pick to a big leaguer in less than two years of pro ball. I am super excited for him and the future of Aggie pitching."
Weiner has landed national acclaim from multiple media outlets in recent years, including being named to the "35 Under 35" list by The Athletic, which spotlighted 35 exceptional people under the age of 35 shaping baseball in 2019. Most recently he was named to the "30 Under 30 2023" list by Forbes Magazine in December of 2022, highlighting those under the age of 30 who are blazing new trails in the sports world.
Weiner's role in the organization has been key in the Mariners' player development. While there he has worked closely with all aspects of the organization including the front office, scouting, analytics teams and coaching staffs throughout the minor and major leagues.
"After talking with several sources in both professional and college baseball, front office executives, scouts, major and minor league players, it became very clear that Max is widely considered one of the brightest, young, energetic pitching coaches in the entire baseball community," Schlossnagle said. "He has been at the forefront of the science of pitching development while also helping and teaching great pitchers how to compete to win."
He is known for his "Control The Zone" mantra, emphasizing controlling the zone by getting first-pitch strikes, winning 1-1 counts and limiting walks. That message has been well received by his pupils as the Mariners have ranked first among all 30 teams in MLB in the "Dominate The Zone" metric which combines strikeout/walk rates with success on 0-0 and 1-1 counts.
Mariner arms have also been durable during his tenure, twice leading professional baseball in pitchers with velocity gains while conversely sporting the fewest number of days of pitchers on the injured list.
In 2022, the same year the Mariners broke a 21-year playoff drought, three of Seattle's four farm teams boasted their league's pitcher of the year. The feat came a season after the Seattle farm system was ranked No. 1 in baseball, only three years after being at the bottom of the rankings.
"I cannot overstate how grateful I am to dedicate my life's work to our players, to this staff and to Aggie culture," Weiner said. "Coach Schlossnagle is a winner unlike any other, and the opportunity to partner with him and Texas A&M is the honor of my lifetime. I am fully committed to helping our pitchers dominate the strike zone and return to Omaha."
A native of Miami, Fla., Weiner joined Seattle's organization after one year as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians organization. He also founded The Arm Farm at the age of 19, an online platform for pitching development and charity serving youth and amateur baseball players that is still active today.
Weiner played two seasons at Lake Sumter State College before transferring to FIU in his hometown of Miami. There he completed his bachelors in sociology in 2017.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT MAX WEINER
"Jim Schlossnagle just made a fantastic hire with Max Weiner. Max's ability to imagine the very best version of a pitcher and then partner with the pitcher to bring that vision to life is second to none. His impact with the Mariners was immediate and will be felt for years to come. We congratulate Coach Schlossnagle and Texas A&M Baseball for this great hire and look forward to seeing them in Omaha." – Andy McKay, Seattle Mariners Assistant General Manager
"Max has been an integral part of our organization since joining us in 2019. The success of the Mariners on the mound in recent years is intertwined with Max's incredible contributions to the development of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Matt Brash, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo just to name a few. We will miss Max and wish him well in College Station." – Justin Hollander, Seattle Mariners General Manager
"Max has been a huge part of my growth and development as a pitcher and person. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever been around in the game and does a great job helping players understand themselves and how to get better. It's also super easy to see how much he cares about the people he works with. I couldn't be more thankful to have crossed paths with him and for the ways he's helped me grow." – Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
"When I first met Max, I had reached huge highs in my career. But baseball is a game that humbles you quickly so I had experienced my lows as well. It's been four years since I started working with Max and I am still pitching in the big leagues. At 35, I'm not sure I can say that would have been possible without Max's help, understanding of the game, and genuine concern and respect for his players at every level. I still keep in touch with Max and ask for his advice. I truly value his opinion and perspective of the game. He sees pitching through the lens of the game now and works with each player individually to bring out their best potential. He will be a huge asset to the A&M family and I'm sure I will see many of the pitchers he mentors in the MLB for years to come." – Bryan Shaw, 10-year MLB veteran
"Texas A&M Baseball will be thrilled to have Max in the program and part of the culture. He's unlike anyone else at getting the absolute most out of pitchers in all stages of development. Hitting coaches in the league will see some of the best pitching in the country under his developmental tutelage, in-game strategy and staff identity." – Connor Dawson, Milwaukee Brewers Hitting Coach
"This is a slam dunk hire! I got to meet Coach Max in college and his resolve and work ethic as a player was unparalleled in our clubhouse. Watching his amazing ascent in pro ball was completely unsurprising given his knowledge and growth-minded nature to help him constantly adapt. That being said, he was meant to develop, recruit and mentor his own staff. Max is an absolute winner in all phases of life and Texas A&M just got a superstar!" – Jered Goodwin, Senior Director of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game
Weiner will oversee the Aggie pitching staff and comes to Aggieland from the Seattle Mariners where he has served as the organization's pitching coordinator since December of 2018.
"We are excited to welcome Max to Aggieland and look forward to his impact on the growth and development of our pitching staff both on and off the field," Schlossnagle said. "He has been at the forefront of the incredible transformation of the Seattle Mariners organization over the past few years."
The Mariners have been amid a pitching renaissance since bringing Weiner into the fold ahead of the 2019 season after he held a position for one year as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians organization.
In the four years since his hire, Seattle has had eight pitchers ranked as Top 100 prospects and boasts the only MLB rotation in modern history with a rotation of four homegrown starters under the age of 26, all who spent no more than two seasons in the minors.
That group includes Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, who pitched for the Aggies from 2019 to 2021 before being selected by the Mariners in the 2021 MLB Draft. Miller, who fast-tracked his way through the Mariners system, joined the Seattle rotation earlier this season.
"Max was a huge influence on my development once I got to pro ball," Miller said. "He helped me out tremendously both on and off the field from the mental aspects of pitching to the physical aspect of sweeping a slider. He's a huge reason I was able to go from a fourth-round pick to a big leaguer in less than two years of pro ball. I am super excited for him and the future of Aggie pitching."
Weiner has landed national acclaim from multiple media outlets in recent years, including being named to the "35 Under 35" list by The Athletic, which spotlighted 35 exceptional people under the age of 35 shaping baseball in 2019. Most recently he was named to the "30 Under 30 2023" list by Forbes Magazine in December of 2022, highlighting those under the age of 30 who are blazing new trails in the sports world.
Weiner's role in the organization has been key in the Mariners' player development. While there he has worked closely with all aspects of the organization including the front office, scouting, analytics teams and coaching staffs throughout the minor and major leagues.
"After talking with several sources in both professional and college baseball, front office executives, scouts, major and minor league players, it became very clear that Max is widely considered one of the brightest, young, energetic pitching coaches in the entire baseball community," Schlossnagle said. "He has been at the forefront of the science of pitching development while also helping and teaching great pitchers how to compete to win."
He is known for his "Control The Zone" mantra, emphasizing controlling the zone by getting first-pitch strikes, winning 1-1 counts and limiting walks. That message has been well received by his pupils as the Mariners have ranked first among all 30 teams in MLB in the "Dominate The Zone" metric which combines strikeout/walk rates with success on 0-0 and 1-1 counts.
Mariner arms have also been durable during his tenure, twice leading professional baseball in pitchers with velocity gains while conversely sporting the fewest number of days of pitchers on the injured list.
In 2022, the same year the Mariners broke a 21-year playoff drought, three of Seattle's four farm teams boasted their league's pitcher of the year. The feat came a season after the Seattle farm system was ranked No. 1 in baseball, only three years after being at the bottom of the rankings.
"I cannot overstate how grateful I am to dedicate my life's work to our players, to this staff and to Aggie culture," Weiner said. "Coach Schlossnagle is a winner unlike any other, and the opportunity to partner with him and Texas A&M is the honor of my lifetime. I am fully committed to helping our pitchers dominate the strike zone and return to Omaha."
A native of Miami, Fla., Weiner joined Seattle's organization after one year as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians organization. He also founded The Arm Farm at the age of 19, an online platform for pitching development and charity serving youth and amateur baseball players that is still active today.
Weiner played two seasons at Lake Sumter State College before transferring to FIU in his hometown of Miami. There he completed his bachelors in sociology in 2017.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT MAX WEINER
"Jim Schlossnagle just made a fantastic hire with Max Weiner. Max's ability to imagine the very best version of a pitcher and then partner with the pitcher to bring that vision to life is second to none. His impact with the Mariners was immediate and will be felt for years to come. We congratulate Coach Schlossnagle and Texas A&M Baseball for this great hire and look forward to seeing them in Omaha." – Andy McKay, Seattle Mariners Assistant General Manager
"Max has been an integral part of our organization since joining us in 2019. The success of the Mariners on the mound in recent years is intertwined with Max's incredible contributions to the development of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Matt Brash, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo just to name a few. We will miss Max and wish him well in College Station." – Justin Hollander, Seattle Mariners General Manager
"Max has been a huge part of my growth and development as a pitcher and person. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever been around in the game and does a great job helping players understand themselves and how to get better. It's also super easy to see how much he cares about the people he works with. I couldn't be more thankful to have crossed paths with him and for the ways he's helped me grow." – Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
"When I first met Max, I had reached huge highs in my career. But baseball is a game that humbles you quickly so I had experienced my lows as well. It's been four years since I started working with Max and I am still pitching in the big leagues. At 35, I'm not sure I can say that would have been possible without Max's help, understanding of the game, and genuine concern and respect for his players at every level. I still keep in touch with Max and ask for his advice. I truly value his opinion and perspective of the game. He sees pitching through the lens of the game now and works with each player individually to bring out their best potential. He will be a huge asset to the A&M family and I'm sure I will see many of the pitchers he mentors in the MLB for years to come." – Bryan Shaw, 10-year MLB veteran
"Texas A&M Baseball will be thrilled to have Max in the program and part of the culture. He's unlike anyone else at getting the absolute most out of pitchers in all stages of development. Hitting coaches in the league will see some of the best pitching in the country under his developmental tutelage, in-game strategy and staff identity." – Connor Dawson, Milwaukee Brewers Hitting Coach
"This is a slam dunk hire! I got to meet Coach Max in college and his resolve and work ethic as a player was unparalleled in our clubhouse. Watching his amazing ascent in pro ball was completely unsurprising given his knowledge and growth-minded nature to help him constantly adapt. That being said, he was meant to develop, recruit and mentor his own staff. Max is an absolute winner in all phases of life and Texas A&M just got a superstar!" – Jered Goodwin, Senior Director of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game