5 potential hitting coaches if Cardinals' Turner Ward is fired

Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Seitzer is another former player who became a coach once he retired. Seitzer, 62, is the oldest on this list. At present, he's the Atlanta Braves' hitting coach, and he's held that role since 2014.

The two-time All-Star was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1983, and he made his debut in 1986 with the Royals. He had a relatively lengthy career, as he played for 11 seasons, and he played with players like Bo Jackson and George Brett, and his name can be found in numerous Royals' record books.

Seitzer took some time to get into the coaching scene, as he didn't return to the sport until 2007, 10 years after he retired. His coaching career began as a hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007, followed by him holding the same position for the Royals from 2009-2012. The Toronto Blue Jays brought him on for the 2014 season to be their hitting coach, and he's been the Atlanta Braves' hitting coach since October of 2014.

He's helped lead one of baseball's best offenses for a while now, and the World Series victory in 2021 is evidence of Seitzer's influence on a team. Kevin Seitzer is touted for his personal approach to hitting; rather than forcing players to conform to a particular stance or style of play, he tailors his approach to each individual player based on his needs and abilities. He's a bit old school in this sense.

Seitzer recently said he has no intentions of leaving the Braves, so pulling him away from a league rival may be challenging. The front office will have to pull some strings to convince Kevin Seitzer to return to the other side of Missouri to be the Cardinals' hitting coach.