🚨 JUST IN: Ethan Katz has already secured his next destination after leaving the White Sox, sparking fresh intrigue around his future ⚡.DD

The Houston Astros are hiring former White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz to be an assistant pitching coach.

The White Sox are in a time of transition as an organization, and the sweeping changes made to the team’s coaching staff just further pushed this narrative. Perhaps the most surprising of the coaching changes was the team’s decision to move on from pitching coach Ethan Katz, who seemed to align with pitching director Brian Bannister’s philosophy and vision. As expected, Katz didn’t remain unemployed long, Reports have surfaced this week that he’s been hired by the Houston Astros as an assistant pitching coach. 

Katz, 42, was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners, but elected not to sign and was drafted again by the Colorado Rockies four years later. He played a few years in minor league baseball, but never made it to the big leagues and soon turned to coaching. Katz’s first coaching job came at the High School level. He joined the coaching staff of Harvard-Westlake High School in Southern California in 2009. Throughout his tenure, Katz coached future Major League pitchers Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty. In 2013, Katz made the jump to pro baseball, joining the Angels organization as a minor league pitching coach. He spent 2013-2018 in various minor league coaching roles with the Angels and Mariners before joining the Giants organization and being promoted to the big league staff in 2019. Just one year later, the White Sox hired Katz to be their Major League pitching coach under Tony La Russa, reuniting him with Giolito. 

Ethan Katz had numerous success stories with the White Sox

Despite La Russa’s departure in 2022, Katz remained on staff under Pedro Grifol, and even survived Grifol’s departure in 2024. After one year under Will Venable, however, Katz was dismissed from his role, and will now take his talents to Houston. His departure from the White Sox was a bit surprising given his work with White Sox pitchers. Though the White Sox haven’t been a top team in the league in ERA, they’ve continued to be solid in the realm of pitching development, with success stories like Carlos Rodon, Garrett Crochet, and Dylan Cease. Katz has also gotten the best out of veterans like Erick Fedde and Adrian Houser, and helped Shane Smith make the all-star game in his first season. Not every pitcher has been successful under Katz’s watch, but no coach has a 100% success rate. It always felt like White Sox pitchers were in good hands with Katz. 

Still, Will Venable made the decision to bring in his own pitching coach in Zach Bove, an analytically-minded coach with recent success in Kansas City, and Katz has moved on. The White Sox will move forward without Katz as the team looks to begin the ascent back into contention. Many of the hires Getz and the front office have made have been productive, so he’s earned the benefit of the doubt in this realm. It’s time to hand the reins to Brian Bannister and Zach Bove, and all we can do is wish Ethan Katz the best in his next chapter.