Cardinals' dismissal of hitting coach Brant Brown shouldn't have blindsided fans

The St. Louis Cardinals just flipped their offseason on its head when they announced the dismissal of hitting coach Brant Brown after he spent two years with the organization. Brown had previously served as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins in 2023 and the offensive coordinator and bench coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2024, and another short stint with a team could raise questions about Brown's effectiveness as a coach.

Many fans on social media have expressed shock at Brown's heave-ho, but maybe it shouldn't have. During Brown's tenure with the team, the Cardinals tied for 20th in the league in batting average and on-base percentage, and tied for second-to-last in slugging percentage.

In the first half of 2025, everything appeared to be coming up roses. the Cardinals offense was firing on all cylinders, and many fans acknowledged Brown for the turnaround. Especially impressive were the hitters' patience at the plate and their ability to hit with runners in scoring position. That all fell apart in the second half, as the Cardinals ranked 28th in walks in the second half and were in the middle of the pack with runners in scoring position, at 15th.

When Brown was hired, the remarks from Cardinals and those affiliated with the team were glowing. The Marlins manager at the time, former Cardinals player and bench coach Skip Schumaker, was effusive of his former hitting coach, praising Brown's detail-oriented style.

Jordan Walker was also complimentary of Brown prior to the 2025 season, as he was excited about Brown's focus on how the body moves and what Brown would do to help Walker's pre-workout routine. Victor Scott praised Brown's knowledge at the 2025 Winter Warm-Ups, mentioning how Brown helped him with his "loose shoulders" that resulted in pop-ups. Brown also reportedly worked out with Nolan Gorman at the complex near their homes in Arizona.

So how did Brown perform in those domains? Well, Walker couldn't find his stride in 2025, hitting just .215 with a .584 OPS; Scott hit .216 with a .601 OPS but did pitch in 34 stolen bases; and Gorman hit .205 with a .666 OPS. To be fair to Brown, though, Alec Burleson took a step forward each year under his tutelage. But it's safe to say that overall. despite Brown's efforts, he didn't produce tangible results in the players he was committed to helping.

An ominous sign emerged in early September of that season when Brown spoke on KMOX and was less than enthused with Walker's progress in his workouts. saying that he and Walker had been playing "massive games of tennis" over what Walker wanted to do and what Brown believed he needed to do. He also said that Walker needed to devote more of his focus on preparation.

In 2026, though, Walker looked like a man reborn. But instead of crediting Brown, Walker gushed over assistant hitting coach Casey Chenoweth, who simplified Walker's approach and adjusted his stance at the plate. Chenoweth also helped Walker psychologically, discussing how he was able to meet Walker where he was at mentally.

Given Walker's success with Chenoweth, along with Chenoweth's success in working with hitters such as Leo Bernal, JJ Wetherholt and Joshua Báez, it wouldn't be surprising to see Chenoweth step into Brown's role. Perhaps other teams were aware of Chenoweth's aptitude and hungered over the idea of poaching him from St. Louis, leading the Cardinals to dismiss Brown and promote Chenoweth, thus keeping him within the organization. But regardless of the reason, Brown's dismissal provides a disappointing conclusion to a saga that began with so much promise.

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