Former Cardinals minor league hitting coordinator has high hopes for the future

Chaim Bloom is now the President of Baseball Operation for the St. Louis Cardinals, and changes within the organization at both the coaching and executive level have already begun.

Bloom was the orchestrator of bringing in executives such as Rob Cerfolio and Matt Pierpont, both of whom have made great strides in their work already this year with the minor-league system. While the coaching portion of the organization has remained largely intact at all levels since Bloom's introduction in 2023, the front office is already seeing plenty of turnover.

The most recent of these changes came within the minor league system. Russ Steinhorn, who has been the club's minor league hitting coordinator since 2019, was recently made aware that his time with the organization has come to an end.

In a post on social media, Steinhorn wrote, "Last week, I was made aware that my work with the Cardinals has come to an end. As I prepare to take the next step in my journey, I want to first express my deepest gratitude to the incredible group of players I've had the honor to be around."

In his letter that was posted on Twitter/X, Steinhorn continued to thank those who worked closely with him, especially the players and coaches over the years.

St. Louis Cardinals cut ties with minor league hitting coordinator Russ Steinhorn.

Russ Steinhorn started off his career as an assistant coach at the collegiate level in 2010. He coached at UNC Greensboro for a year then spent time at Delaware State University as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He was able to use this experience to slingshot him to the minor leagues as a coach within the Houston Astros system from 2013-2015. He was a hitting coach from 2013-2015 with the short-season Tri-City Valley Cats along with being a hitting coach and manager in the Astros' Florida Instructional League.

Steinhorn eventually rose to be the manager of the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Houston Astros' Single-A affiliate. He finished his time there with a 79-59 record. He worked with players like Yordan Alvarez, Bryan De La Cruz, and Chas McCormick during his time with the River Bandits, all of whom are regular contributors in the majors today.

Steinhorn spent a year as the Director of Player Development at Clemson University and a year as MiLB Assistant Hitting Coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2019 season. He was then hired as the Cardinals' Minor League Hitting Coordinator in September of 2019, a role he held until recently.

Steinhorn has worked with highly touted hitting prospects such as Dylan Carlson, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and now JJ Wetherholt during his time with the Cardinals. The players who wowed him the most out of the bunch? That would be Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt

Who is one hitter who wowed you right off the bat?

"Two players stand out immediately," wrote Steinhorn, "Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt."

The Cardinals drafted Jordan Walker during the COVID break in 2020, and he reported to the club's alternate site during the season. "His first round of BP was essentially a fireworks show — balls were leaving the yard to every part of the field. As soon as he finished, I texted Randy Flores: 'Great pick. He’s going to be special.'" Steinhorn said that despite Walker's disappointing start to his major-league career, he still believes that the young outfielder can become a "highly productive major-league player."

The other player who wowed Russ Steinhorn as a prospect is JJ Wetherholt. In our conversation, Russ spoke highly of the intangibles that Wetherholt possesses.

What was your philosophy as a hitting coordinator?

Organizational philosophies, be they hitting or pitching, must be implemented at all levels. For Russ Steinhorn and his group, their hitting philosophy focused on creating as much value as possible for both the organization and the player. "At the core, we were focused on developing the skill sets that produce successful major-league hitters," said Steinhorn. "Every player is unique, and our responsibility was to maximize each individual’s strengths while improving their weaknesses.

"However, we emphasized four foundational traits shared by nearly all successful MLB hitters: swing decision, in-zone contact, impact (quality of contact), and productive angles (optimal angles to maximize damage)."

Steinhorn and his team created individualized plans for each hitter throughout the minors to develop fully as hitters. These needs could be small adjustments, a bat-speed program, or a complete overhaul, similar to the massive transformation that Joshua Baez made before the 2025 season.

"I always looked at it as a coordinator is only as effective as the coaches in the affiliates, and I believe we built one of the best top-to-bottom coaching groups in baseball," said Steinhorn of his coaching staff. Russ went on to laud hitting coaches like Brandon Allen, Daniel Nicolaisen, Tyler Wolfe, Tyger Pederson, and Brock Hammit as excellent coaches who were with the organization or have been with the Cardinals for several years. He also gave praise to the current group of coaches that includes Howie Clark, Casey Chenoweth, Elvis Rodriguez, Paul Benoit, Erik Almonte, Luis Reynoso, and Luis Cruz.

"(These coaches) should all be considered at some point to have an opportunity to become coordinators or MLB coaches one day."

Was it difficult to balance a player's development with the major-league club's need for talent infusion throughout the years?

The narrative surrounding the Cardinals' prospects in recent years has been centered on the idea that players who found ample success in the minors flattened out or fell short of expectations in the majors. Part of the reason for underwhelming results for former top prospects could be attributed to the large gap that now exists between Triple-A and the majors. Russ Steinhorn believes that the best way to produce successful MLB hitters is to maintain consistent development principles.

"Maintaining the same developmental principles at the MLB level ensures continuity and gives players the support they need to adjust, evolve, and ultimately succeed," posited Steinhorn. "Continuous improvement is essential at every level — especially the highest one."

What do you see as JJ Wetherholt's future? Is he a true bona fide star?

While Russ Steinhorn was hesitant to label JJ Wetherholt in any way before he makes his major-league debut, he was confident that JJ has the potential to be an excellent player with a long and successful MLB career.

"What I can say with complete confidence is that JJ will always out-prepare and outwork anyone. When he gets his opportunity, I have no doubt he will seize it and never look back. His mindset, professionalism, and commitment to improvement set him apart."

As is the case with several other players throughout the majors, JJ's faith is a key component of who he is. "JJ's foundation is rooted in his faith," said Steinhorn. "It keeps him grounded, steady, and resilient." Russ said that JJ will quickly become a fan favorite due to his work ethic, his talent, and who he is as a person.

Are you confident in the Cardinals' ability to contend in the near future?

As we have already seen just one month into Chaim Bloom's tenure, he is dedicated to improving the Cardinals at all levels. "Chaim Bloom is exceptionally smart, and I was fortunate to spend significant time with him when he served as an advisor. One thing people may not realize is how competitive he is," said Steinhorn of the Cardinals' new POBO. "He has a strong long-term vision, but if a short-term opportunity arises that doesn’t compromise that vision, he won’t hesitate to make the necessary moves to put the team in position to win."

While there isn't a quick or magical fix to the Cardinals, Russ Steinhorn is confident that the Cardinals will return to prominence soon. "There is a strong core at the major-league level and a promising group on the way. They’ll need to supplement the roster through trades or free agency to take the next step, but I believe Chaim and his group will do that and return the organization to sustained winning — just as John Mozeliak and his team did for so many years."

The people whom Chaim has surrounded himself with, including Rob Cerfolio, are knowledgeable and talented in what they do. This new regime will surely take the Cardinals back to the pinnacle of Major League Baseball in Russ Steinhorn's eyes.

What do you envision yourself doing in the next step of your career?

Russ has yet to find another job after leaving the Cardinals, but he's open to all opportunities. His career as a hitting coach and hitting coordinator would make him an attractive candidate for any organization that is looking to improve in those areas of coaching and player development.

"Above all, I’m driven by working with people, leading, and positively impacting others. I’m looking for an opportunity where I can do both in a meaningful way."

Given Russ's track record and years of experience, it shouldn't take too long for him to find a new job.