4 updated hitting coach ideas for the Cardinals after Turner Ward's firing

The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a hitting coach. After not renewing Turner Ward's contract for 2025, there is a vacancy within the coaching staff. Ward, the organization's fourth hitting coach since 2010, was Oliver Marmol's choice following the 2022 season. Former All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt also had a good rapport with Ward.

Since 2023, the Cardinals' offense has ranked 17th in wRC+ (101), 16th in OPS (.723), and 16th in wOBA (.315). Those are all fairly decent statistics, and they would look even better when paired with a strong pitching corps. The issue is that the Cardinals have failed to provide good pitching these past few years, too.

What has really been jarring to see has been the team's output with runners in scoring position since Ward's ascension to hitting coach. With runners in scoring position since 2023, the Cardinals have the 4th-worst OPS (.703), the 6th-worst wRC+ (92), and the 4th-worst batting average (.238). Without an ability to drive in runs, the Cardinals have gone nowhere.

While it may be partially unfair to pin all of these struggles on one man, particularly a person who isn't even playing the game, someone had to take the heat for the team's recent underperformance.

Back in August, I made a list of people who could theoretically replace Turner Ward in 2025 and beyond. Some of those names, including assistant hitting coach Brandon Allen and Triple-A Memphis's hitting coach Howie Clark, remain serious candidates. I'll revisit those two options briefly before re-opening the discussion.

Howie Clark would be a safe play, as he is quite familiar with players like Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, Ivan Herrera, and Nolan Gorman, all players tabbed to lead the organization in the future. He has also been in St. Louis's coaching system for quite some time.

Brandon Allen was allowed to retain his position as the team's assistant hitting coach -- a role he's held since November of 2022 -- despite Ward's firing. This alone may signal the organization's favorability toward Allen. His promotion may not be the most attractive move from a fan perspective, but it makes sense given who the Cardinals are as an organization.

Hiring either Brandon Allen or Howie Clark would be a good move, as they both have strong resumes and are notably good coaches. However, fans may want an outside candidate for the future.

These four hitting coach options woulld be excellent outside-the-box moves for the Cardinals this offseason.