Matt Arnold summarizes the Brewers’ 2024 season.
Anyone who predicted a quiet offseason for the Minnesota Twins has already been proven wrong.
After a catastrophic collapse cost the Twins about 90 percent of their postseason chances, they wasted no time making huge moves. Days after the season concluded, the Twins fired four coaches and announced that Thad Levine would not return as general manager. This week’s biggest surprise was the Pohlad family’s announcement that they were selling the franchise.
That has been by far the most significant development this offseason, even before we consider how the team might strengthen its squad through free agency and trades. Minnesota has a There are a lot of significant decisions to be made, but determining how to replace David Popkins as hitting coach should not be forgotten in the shuffle. Former Braves hitting instructor Kevin Seitzer could be just what the Twins need.
Popkins and his whole hitting coaching staff were fired at the end of the season, so the Twins will need to find someone to assist rebuild that aspect of the clubhouse. The Atlanta Braves also made a coaching change, firing longtime hitting coach Kevin Seitzer after ten seasons with the team.
Similarly to what happened in Minnesota, the Braves’ season went south. Atlanta, expected to be a World Series contender, hit.243/.309/.415 and, despite an exciting finish to the season, were in the playoffs for a cup of coffee before going down.
However, things improved dramatically last year.
The Braves hit.276/.344/.501 for a league-leading 125 wRC+, and they’ve had consistent success over the last decade under Seitzer. No team is immune to ups and downs, but the consistency of Atlanta’s offensive since 2014, when Seitzer was hired, should stand out to the Twins despite the fact that he was fired for a poor season this year.
Twins fans are all too familiar with the consequences of a roster depleted by injury. Atlanta was decimated by the injury bug, with key players like as Ronald Acua, Michael Harris II, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies losing time this season.
Minnesota would be betting that the Braves’ offensive decline is due to injuries rather than Seitzer, which appears to be a sound assumption. He’s been with a great team for a decade and helped bring the World Series back to Atlanta, so he appears to be a strong option.
Even if Seitzer isn’t on the Twins radar — which he should be — the debate highlights how important this appointment must be in order to
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