Braves make savvy hitting coach hire to address recent departure

Just weeks after moving on from longtime hitting coach Kevin Seitzer following a disappointing end to an underwhelming offensive season, the Atlanta Braves announced Tim Hyers as the new hire (or is it Hyer?).

Hyers has spent the last three seasons with the Texas Rangers and was the hitting coach during the Rangers' 2023 postseason run, which brought the club its first championship in the team's 62-year history.

New Hitting Coach Tim Hyers is a local pick for the Atlanta Braves

Tim Hyers, an Atlanta native, played four seasons in Major League Baseball from 1994 to 1999, appearing in 133 games with the Padres, Tigers, and Marlins. The lefty first baseman and outfielder never got more than 129 plate appearances and slashed .217/.298/.287 for his career.

In 2014, Hyers filled in as the Boston Red Sox's hitting coach after Greg Colbrunn recovered from an injury. He then served as the assistant hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016-2017 before returning to the Red Sox as the hitting coach for the 2018 season.

Hyers stayed with the Red Sox until 2021 when he joined the Texas Rangers staff before the start of the 2022 season to replace Luis Ortiz.

During his tenure with the Rangers, the club had a 103 wRC+, the sixth-most homers in MLB, the 13th-best walk rate, and the 13th-best strikeout rate. Last season, the Rangers won the AL team Silver Slugger, though it is interesting to note that the Rangers, like the Braves, regressed significantly in 2024.

According to Jeff Wilson, geography played a part in Hyers leaving the Rangers as he wanted to be closer to home.

Hyers will be tasked with helping overhaul a team approach that outgoing hitting coach Kevin Seitzer admitted was guilty of trying too hard. With the existing team that Alex Anthoupolos has built, and hopefully much better luck on the injury front, Hyers will be able to do that.

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