Primed In Pinstripes: Pitching coach Demetre Kokoris ready to work in first year with Yankees

Demetre Kokoris has coached baseball at just about every level. From Division II Point Loma Nazarene to Triple-A Round Rock and the international stage, Kokoris has seen it all. That doesn’t mean it was always easy for him to evaluate talent. Kokoris’ first job in pro baseball came with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, and at first he was overwhelmed.

“It was my first day with the Blue Jays and we had a draft pick Adam Kloffenstein,” Kokoris said. “He threw a bullpen, and I was asked if I thought he was a big leaguer, and I said I don’t know. I know this guy can get outs in the SEC. I know he’d be in our rotation at [Cal State] Fullerton, and I know he’d be really good in the Pac-12 at Oregon. But if you’re asking me whether this guy is going to be a big leaguer, he’s 18 years old. I have no idea.”

At the time, Kokoris was coaching in Short-Season A ball in the Northwest League with the Vancouver Canadians. He knew that to truly develop in his craft, he needed to see the higher level of Minor League Baseball. The Texas Rangers gave him that opportunity. In 2023 and 2024, Kokoris served as the bullpen coach for their Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express.

“There was always that desire to get to those upper levels,” Kokoris said. “To see close hand not just what the stuff looks like, but also what the execution looks like. How do these guys handle their business, handle failure? Having those two years in Triple-A, I’m really thankful to the Rangers organization,” Kokoris said.

Learning From A Legend

Kokoris began his baseball coaching career as a student assistant at South Carolina in the mid-2000s, learning under legendary Gamecocks coach Ray Tanner, a three-time National Coach of the Year who won two College World Series championships in 2010 and 2011. That’s where Kokoris learned how to conduct himself.

“I knew I wanted to get into baseball at that time,” Kokoris said. “In regards to where or what, I wasn’t exactly sure … the way he demanded us to be as individuals was a really good learning place for me. To have that as my floor so to speak of coaches to learn from, I was super lucky.”

After graduating from South Carolina in 2006, Kokoris began his collegiate coaching journey. He spent time as an assistant coach with Cal State Fullerton, who reached two College World Series in 2007 and 2009 during his time there.

As Kokoris coached at a number of junior colleges and in D-II baseball, pro baseball wasn’t something he really imagined. He liked college baseball and that was all he ever knew. That was until he was approached by the Blue Jays in the fall of 2018.

“They found me,” Kokoris said. “It was the technology boom. The Astros showed that everybody should be doing things differently. What ended up happening was they hired a data analyst. They hired a tech coordinator… I guess my name came up a lot, and they reached out to me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go the pro route, but the Jays really vetted my character, and I realized that if they’re vetting my character that hard, they must be doing that for all the other individuals in the organization.”

Entering The Pro Ranks

In his introduction to pro baseball, Kokoris coached in the Toronto organization for three seasons. During his time there, he was given another chance to try something else very meaningful to him: coaching the Greek National Team during the 2021 European Baseball Championships. The competitive fire blew him away.

“The only thing that mattered was losing or winning the baseball game,” Kokoris said. “Us as Greeks we’re very emotional as individuals. We had a pitcher who threw 120 pitches and on three days rest picked up the baseball and threw another 100 pitches. And it wasn’t even a question. That’s what he lived for. To coach that caliber of baseball from a competition standpoint was so enjoyable and very refreshing.”

In 2022, the Rangers hired Kokoris to be the pitching coach of the Down East Wood Ducks, where he led the unit to the second-best ERA in the Carolina League. He then moved up to Triple-A Round Rock to be the bullpen coach, where he spent 2023 and 2024.

When Texas won the World Series in 2023, Kokoris was at the center of it, playing a role at World Series practices and helping to lead the “stay ready” camp. Witnessing all the successes up close had a major impact on how Kokoris looks at coaching.

This offseason, the Yankees hired Kokoris to be the Renegades pitching coach, bringing him back to High-A ball. It was a no-brainer decision for him. The Yankees were the “No. 1 organization” Kokoris wanted to be part of. He believes that he’s much better prepared to coach at this level after his experiences with the Rangers.

“I feel like I left that 2023 season knowing not just what a big leaguer looks like, but a World Series championship team,” Kokoris said. “So having that experience and going back to High-A, it’s going to be so much easier to meet where they’re at and challenge them. The goal is to create impact big leaguers and to guide these men through that journey.”

As the season gets rolling, Kokoris is particularly excited about being in the Hudson Valley, a departure from the scorching summer heat of Austin, Texas the last two years.

“I’m so excited to be here,” Kokoris said. “I’m really glad I’m 41 up here and not 25. If I was 25 and in this area, I would be on the train to the city every Monday and be exploring down there. But I think at this age, nature really stands out to me, and a place where I can get rooted. There are a lot of hikes up here I’m excited about.”