Who says you can’t go home?

Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin is expected to hire former VandyBoy Jason Esposito as the new hitting coach according to a report from Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball.

It’s notable how quickly this hire came together after the position just came open earlier in the week. It was only a few days ago that the program announced former hitting coach Jayson King was departing after one season with the Commodores. Esposito is clearly someone Corbin targeted quickly.

Esposito played three seasons in the infield for the VandyBoys, starting 196 games, from 2008-2011. He was known for his prolific hitting -- batting .340 with 9 home runs his final season – as well as his fantastic defense in the field.

Esposito was initially selected in the 2008 MLB draft in the 7th round by the Kansas City Royals but elected to play for the Commodores instead. After the 2011 season he was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Orioles. Esposito signed for a reported $600,000 and played four seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from the game as a player in 2015.

As a coach, Esposito brings an impressive resume with a wealth of experience. He began as hitting coach in 2018 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and in 2019 with the Lake County Captains– both affiliates of the Cleveland Indians. Esposito quickly made his way up the ranks, moving to Cleveland’s AAA affiliate the Columbus Clippers in 2020 to coach their hitters. While that season was canceled due to Covid, he coached in Columbus in 2021-2022 before he was promoted to the Major Leagues in 2023 as the Guardians’ Run Production Coordinator. He stayed in that role in 2024, then in 2025 he was named assistant hitting coach.

In an interview with Cleveland.com last year, Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt said Esposito’s strength was his wealth of hitting knowledge, scouting, and his ability to communicate that to the players.

“That’s really his expertise,” Vogt said. “It’s his taking that data, understanding how our guys’ swings and bodies are moving and how we can apply that to the pitchers that we’re facing.” Vogt went on to add “They all speak the same language, maybe in different versions or different arenas, but it’s one of those things that Espo brings so much value to the club.”

Corbin is hoping Esposito can bring that magic to a VandyBoys program that has ranked near the bottom of the SEC in most hitting statistics in the last few years. One frequent criticism of Corbin among fans has been the perception that he is rigidly loyal to a fault, and in some cases will keep an assistant coach well past his shelf life. This hire is perhaps a step in the right direction that Corbin is more open to changing with the times as he continues to pursue hie third national title.