Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer was let go in the aftermath of a season from hell when considering the high expectations coming into the year. In his place, the Braves have brought in Tim Hyers, who has already helped two different clubs to a World Series as a hitting coach in the Red Sox and, most recently, the Rangers in 2023.
Today, Hyers met with the local Atlanta media over Zoom for the first time since being hired. Among the topics discussed was his simplistic approach to hitting, which consists of three core principles.
“I’m a simple guy,” Hyers said. “I like to keep things simple so that players can understand. We can have a confident approach. I believe in some core principles, and three that I’m going to preach day in and day out are game-planning, swing decisions, and our movements in the batter’s box.”
New @braves hitting coach Tim Hyers has three core principles that he is going to preach day in and day out:
Game-planning
Swing decisions
Movement in the batter’s box pic.twitter.com/q4qAxCxCpw— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) October 28, 2024
Tim Hyers didn’t spend much time playing Major League Baseball, only appearing in 133 games over his career for three different teams, but his resumé as a hitting instructor is already quite impressive. He helped the Red Sox to a World Series in his first year as the team’s hitting coach, and after four years in Boston, he joined the Rangers organization, where he would help Texas to a World Series after just two seasons with the team.
Hyers has worked with some incredible talents in such a short time, but there aren’t many teams that can hold a candle to the current Braves core. The last time they were all healthy, they set a slew of major-league records, including tying the record for most home runs by a team in a single season with 307.
It’s the kind of talent that can make any coach look good, but one area in particular must be a focus heading into the offseason. The Braves offense will always be able to slug with the best of them, but situationally, this group was abysmal this year, and in the last three postseasons as well. That’s why the Braves ultimately made this change, hoping a new voice can get this offense back to the juggernaut it has been for most of the last decade.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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