Cardinals Officially Hire New Hitting Coach Following Necessary Turner Ward Firing

St. Louis' offense is entering a new era

Sep 10, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown (middle) celebrates after clinching the NL West division after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images / Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have many inequities to fix as they look to revive a once-well-respected organization and the front office isn't wasting any time.

It was announced Monday that Cardinals legend Willie McGee would step down from his coaching role on St. Louis' bench, while 2011 World Series champion Jon Jay joins manager Oli Marmol's staff.

After parting ways with hitting coach Turner Ward shortly after the end of this year's regular season, the Cardinals have already found the right man for the job.

"We (Cardinals) have also hired Brant Brown as our new Hitting Coach," the organization announced Tuesday. "Brown has been a Major League assistant coach for the past seven seasons, working with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners. Brown worked alongside Jon Jay on the Marlins coaching staff in 2023."

Brown was the Dodgers' assistant hitting coach from 2020-22, helping Los Angeles reach the National League Championship Series twice and win its No. 7 World Series title during the COVID-19 restricted season.

The 53-year-old also helped former St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite Skip Schumaker win Manager of the Year in 2023 with the Miami Marlins -- successfully turning around a club that finished with a 69-93 record in 2022 to 84-78 the following season.

After the exciting hiring of former Cleveland Guardians director of player development Rob Cerfolio and Brown, it's safe to say St. Louis is moving in the right direction.

Firing Ward was necessary after the Cardinals' offense struggled mightily in 2024. Brown offers a new wave of hope for a St. Louis lineup that ranked No. 22 in the league with 672 runs scored this past season.

So far, future Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom's presence is bringing positive changes to the coaching staff. Hopefully, he'll soon be able to revive the big-league roster.

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