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White Sox say hitting coach Todd Steverson won't be back

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox say hitting coach Todd Steverson will not return next season.

The team also announced Wednesday that assistant hitting coach Greg Sparks won't be back. All other members of manager Rick Renteria's staff were retained.

The White Sox went 72-89 for their seventh straight losing season. But there was progress.

Steverson, who held the job for six seasons, helped Tim Anderson bump his batting average 95 points to a major league-leading .335. Yoan Moncada went from a big league-high 217 strikeouts to 154 while hitting .315 with 25 homers and 79 RBI. Rookie slugger Eloy Jimenez batted .267 with 31 homers and 79 RBI.

Chicago finished eighth in the majors in batting average, but 24th in runs.

Sparks joined the White Sox in 2016.