The man who guided one of the most historic offense's in MLB history finally has gotten some recognition for his role in their success. Atlanta Braves hitting coach, Kevin Seitzer, was named Baseball America's MLB coach of the year.
“It’s a stinkin’ team effort, man. But it’s very cool. Very humbling. I don’t feel worthy at all. Hitting coaches just show up, grind and get after it and try to keep the ship afloat the best we can.”
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 14, 2023
Kevin Seitzer is the 2023 MLB Coach Of The Yearhttps://t.co/5H4oqunZGf
Rightfully so, the Braves offense was no doubt the best in baseball from start to finish of the regular season. They became the first team to slug over .500 for an entire season, as well as tying the MLB single season team home run record of 307.
The stats are well known at this point. Regardless of the talent on the Braves roster, it still takes a respected voice to motivate the talent in the room. Seitzer responded with a telling statement that encapsulates perfectly his humble personality.
"Well this has to be a mistake, because I just got to coach the offense of the year"Kevin Seitzer
Atlanta has constantly been a high-powered offense with Seitzer at the helm of the hitting department. However, in 2023 they reached a whole different level. Perhaps no individual moreso than the NL MVP Ronadl Acuna Jr.
Creating a never before seen 40/70 club was just a topping on the incredible season Ronald had. His power and stolen base prowess reached new heights, yet somehow he cut his strikeout rate nearly in half. In fact, the entire Braves cut their K-rate down four percent.
The best thing about it is, this team is young and under contract together for a long time. They have the desire to get better every single day, and the talent to make it happen. On top of all that, they have one heck of a hitting coach to lean on when those inevitable baseball slumps rear their ugly head. Congrats to Kevin Seitzer, it is certainly an award that is more than deserved.