Cardinals Reportedly 'Parting Ways' With Hitting Coach After Brutal 2024 Season

St. Louis is taking the necessary steps to get back on track

Jun 25, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds hitting coach Turner Ward looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that 2025 will be spent retooling the farm system and focusing on player development, with the big-league roster put on the back burner.

However, the Cardinals still have to compete next year and after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, personnel changes should take place.

In a highly anticipated move, St. Louis has reportedly decided to move on from their hitting coach after the offense's lackluster performance this past season.

"The Cardinals are parting ways with hitting coach Turner Ward," The Athletic's Katie Woo reported Friday morning. "Assistant hitting coach Brandon Allen is expected to be retained."

It's no secret that the Cardinals' 2024 season was killed by the lack of offense. If St. Louis had a middle-of-the-pack lineup this year, they likely would've been able to scathe by and earn a National League Wild Card spot.

However, the Cardinals' offense proved to be the team's Achilles' heal -- ranking No. 22 in the league with 672 runs scored, having the sixth lowest OPS (.704) in the National League and posting baseball's lowest team average (.229), slugging percentage (.342) and OPS with runners in scoring position.

Ward was hired as the Cardinals' assistant hitting coach in 2021 but was eventually promoted in 2023 to lead offensive operations. The 59-year-old held the same position for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.

Whatever Ward was trying to do with St. Louis' lineup wasn't working and it's great to see the Cardinals take a step in the right direction by moving on from him. If it's broken, fix it.

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