The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series, powered by Program 15 Sports, is pleased to announce the additions of Jason Stein and Josh Zeid as the new Director of Hitting and Director of Pitching, respectively.
Both hires are effective immediately.
“Jason Stein and Josh Zeid are exactly what this organization has been missing,” said FSS founder and CEO Jeremy Booth.
“By bringing in a Director of Hitting and a Director of Pitching, we’ve created the structure to fully integrate both traditional and forward-thinking analytical methods into player development. This balance is what enables athletes not only to compete but also to stay ahead of the game.
Many attempt this approach, but few succeed—because not everyone is receptive to the information, and fewer still know how to apply it. The truth is, you need both: experience and innovation. Building players is not about quick fixes or reactions; it’s a deliberate, step-by-step process that requires vision, patience, and consistency.”
Stein, 51, is a baseball lifer with a fascinating resume that includes 11 years in the big leagues as an assistant hitting coach with the now-Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers, where he worked with Major League All-Stars such as Shin-Soo Choo, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, and Elvis Andrus, among countless others.
A coach, instructor, scout, evaluator, and player for almost 30 years – many of those in professional baseball – Stein is also the son of a former Major Leaguer, Texas Rangers & Seattle Mariners infielder, and minor league manager Bill Stein, who still holds the American League record for most consecutive pinch hits. The elder Stein spent 30 years in professional baseball as well.
Currently, Stein is starting his eighth year as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Cornerstone Christian Schools in San Antonio, TX, and has built one of the top private school baseball programs in Texas. In the first seven seasons, he has compiled a record of 187-61, including a TCAF state title in 2022 and a TCAL state championship in 2025. He has also placed over 85 percent of their players with college programs of every level of college baseball. Along with Cornerstone, for the last five years Stein has also been on staff with Trosky Baseball, coaching their National Teams throughout the summer and fall.
As a player, he was an accomplished infielder at Rockledge HS in Florida. Stein went to play collegiately at Richland College in Dallas TX, where he was part of a team that went to back-to-back Junior College World Series; he then spent one year at UT Arlington and a short stint in two different organizations (Marlins, Angels). After playing, Stein spent years perfecting the craft of baseball instruction with his father, including camps, clinics, and lessons full time with over twelve thousand teaching hours in just those formats alone.
Jason has one Daughter – Payton, and two grandchildren – Evan (10), and Rosie (6).
Zeid, 38, enjoyed a lengthy professional career that took him all the way to the big leagues, where he made 48 appearances over two seasons with the Houston Astros in 2013-14. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the tenth round out of Tulane — he also pitched collegiately at Vanderbilt, recent host of our National Combine – the big right-handed pitcher is likely best known for his time later in his career with Team Israel, where he earned All-World Baseball Classic team honors and also competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He compiled 54 professional wins over nine seasons in the Phillies, Astros, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals systems –- as well as stops in independent baseball and overseas – and recorded 744 strikeouts over that time, perhaps most notably being the first pitcher to ever get Bryce Harper out in professional baseball during their time in the Arizona Fall League in 2010.
Since 2017, Zeid spent five years as the Rehab Pitching Coordinator with the Chicago Cubs, two seasons as the pitching coach at San Jacinto College in Houston, and is the Director of Pitching for Team Israel.
He has two boys, Parker and Barrett.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
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