Inside The Cardinals

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

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

Nate Hagerty

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
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
In this story:

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.

More MLB: Cardinals $81.6 Million Star Could Make Orioles Bullpen Scariest In League For 2025

Published
Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News