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

Ryan Ludwick

Ryan Ludwick is the lone internal candidate on this list. He is currently a roving instructor for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he was instrumental in orchestrating a swing change for rookie center fielder Victor Scott II in July and August.

Howie Clark, the Triple-A hitting coach, was insistent on Scott adjusting his swing, but it took advice from former Cardinal Ludwick for things to change. Ludwick and Scott worked on shortening Scott's leg kick prior to swinging and instead using his athleticism in his swing; dividends showed pretty quickly. His average exit velocity increased, and he saw more power and home runs with his revamped swing.

Ludwick is listed as a special advisor with Jason Isringhausen for the minor league teams, but he could see his role grow this offseason. As a player, Ludwick had a slash line of .260/.330/.451 with 154 home runs in 12 seasons. He won a Silver Slugger award in 2008 thanks to a .299/.375/.591 slash line and an OPS+ of 151. He slugged 37 home runs and drove in 113 runners that year.

Ludwick has held his role as a special advisor and roving instructor in the minors since 2022. Perhaps a more stationary role in St. Louis with the big-league club would be enticing to Ludwick, now 46 years old. His coaching career has been spent solely with the Cardinals, as he has never been an instructor or coach for another team. This would be a risky internal hiring, but it would be a sign of a change of pace in the organization.