Edwar Gonzalez, who was recently named the assistant hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, has had a long and steady career in baseball — primarily in the minor leagues and in player-development roles.

Born on January 1, 1983, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Gonzalez played as a right-handed outfielder. He attended Seminole State College in Oklahoma and signed with the Yankees organization, where he played in the minors from 2002 through 2010 — appearing in 770 games – only four of which were at Triple-A – hitting a cumulative .257/.307/.400.

Soon after, Gonzalez transitioned into coaching. He spent nine years (2011–2019) in the Yankees system as a minor league hitting coach and lower-level hitting coordinator. His early coaching stops included roles with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, Charleston RiverDogs, and Pulaski Yankees. Notably, as a coach in the RiverDogs system, he helped develop young hitters and instilled a strong work ethic, reflecting the pride he felt in wearing the Yankees pinstripes.

In 2020, Gonzalez moved to the Miami Marlins organization, where he served for two years as their minor league hitting coordinator. In 2022, Gonzalez earned his first major league coaching role as the Marlins’ assistant hitting coach. He also appeared in a Marlins’ “Balance of Hitting” video in 2021, highlighting his developmental philosophy.

Gonzalez joined the Phillies before the 2023 season as their Latin America hitting coordinator and special advisor to international scouting. He was promoted to assistant director of hitting development in 2024, and in November 2024 became director of hitting development in the Phillies minor league system.

Gonzalez is replacing Dustin Lind, who accepted the job of hitting coach with the Baltimore Orioles.