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Howie Clark
I've chosen to start this list off with an internal candidate in Howie Clark. Clark, 50, has been the hitting coach for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds since January of 2023. Prior to coaching in Memphis, Clark coached for minor league teams of the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox. He got his first and only taste of major league coaching in 2020 when he was brought on to be an assistant hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox.
Clark is a former player, something that is common among specialty coaches in baseball. He was drafted by the Orioles in 1992, and he would make his big league debut ten years later in July of 2002. Clark would play in the majors for six years for teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Minnesota Twins.
In his year and a half as the hitting coach for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate, he's managed to lead an offense that is in the top half of the International League. Last year, Memphis finished 6th in runs scored, 9th in batting average, 6th in on-base percentage, and 12th in OPS. There are a total of 20 teams in the International League. The story this year is a bit different, however, as Memphis ranks 18th in runs scored, 13th in OPS, and 15th in batting average.
Clark seems to be the safe play here, as he's familiar with the organization after having coached for two years in the system now. Also, players such as Thomas Saggese, Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, Masyn Winn, and Ivan Herrera are all quite familiar with him. These players are poised to be the young core of the roster heading into 2025 and 2026, so Clark's familiarity with this crop of young talent could bode well for his case to supplant Turner Ward.