The Cardinals are moving on from hitting coach Brant Brown after two seasons, a change that comes as St. Louis looks to reset part of its offensive staff heading into 2027.
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that Brown will not return, even though the club expects most of its major-league coaching staff to come back next season. Brown was brought in after the 2024 season to replace Turner Ward, but the results under his watch were not enough to keep him in place.
St. Louis finished the 2026 season with a 77-85 record, fourth in the National League Central, and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year. There were still positives in the year, including a chance for the Cardinals to see their young core take meaningful steps forward, but the offense never really found its stride.
The numbers tell that story. The Cardinals finished this season with the second-lowest OPS and slugging percentage in the majors, trailing only the Los Angeles Angels.
With Brown gone, assistant hitting coaches Brandon Allen and Casey Chenoweth remain on staff, and one of them is widely expected to get a shot at the top hitting job. That said, St. Louis is not limited to an in-house answer.
Albert Pujols could also become part of the conversation. The door may open for him to join the coaching staff in some capacity if he does not land the Angels managerial job, though for now he remains tied to that possibility. It will be interesting to see what Chaim Bloom decides to do with the opening.
For now, the Cardinals are back in the market for a hitting coach, and they can either promote from within or look beyond the organization. With the rebuild still in its early stages, the next hire will need the right experience to help steer a young lineup in the right direction.
St. Louis has already cycled through several hitting coaches in recent years.
Jeff Albert held the job through 2022 before giving way to Ward, and Ward was then replaced by Brown after the 2024 season. Now the Cardinals have another decision to make as they keep working toward becoming a true contender again.
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