In 2024, the Atlanta Braves’ offense experienced a significant decline, falling from historic heights to a middle-of-the-pack unit. Aside from Marcell Ozuna, the few healthy contributors underperformed, prompting the team to part ways with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer after the season.
Seitzer didn’t stay unemployed for long, quickly landing a job with the Seattle Mariners. Just over a month into the new season, it’s become increasingly clear that the 2023 MLB Coach of the Year, as named by Baseball America, wasn’t the cause of Atlanta’s offensive woes.
Former Braves Hitting Coach Sparks Mariners Turnaround
At the time, Seitzer’s dismissal felt more like a scapegoating move during a frustrating, injury-riddled season. As the longest-tenured coach on staff, he was handed a tough task—trying to make Orlando Arcia a productive hitter. After his exit, Seitzer acknowledged he had difficulty helping players avoid pressing and overextending themselves at the plate.
While the Braves’ offense has been passable in 2025—especially after acquiring Alex Verdugo—their .240/.315/.391 slash line equates to a 98 wRC+, right around league average. New hitting coach Tim Hyers hasn’t found much more success reaching underperforming players like Jarred Kelenic, Michael Harris, and Arcia, all of whom have wRC+ figures under 61. It highlights the limitations of what a hitting coach can do.
In contrast, Seitzer and former Braves assistant Bobby Magallanes have overseen a remarkable transformation in Seattle. Historically inconsistent, the Mariners offense had decent underlying metrics last year (12th in wRC+) but ranked just 21st in runs scored. Key players like Jorge Polanco, J.P. Crawford, and Mitch Garver all disappointed.
This season, that’s changed dramatically. Polanco has emerged as one of MLB’s most dangerous hitters, slashing .387/.427/.800 with a 253 wRC+, a 161-point jump from 2024. Crawford has improved to a 149 wRC+ (up from 89), and Garver has returned to near-2023 form with a 121 wRC+.
As a result, the Mariners now boast the third-best wRC+ in the league and rank sixth in total runs scored. They’ve already scored 8+ runs in nine games this year—compared to just two at the same point last season, per Foolish Baseball.
Largely fueled by their offensive resurgence, Seattle leads the AL West with a 19-12 record, holding a two-game edge over the A’s (still based in Oakland, not Sacramento).
While it’s tough to precisely measure Seitzer’s impact, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Atlanta’s decision to let him go was a hasty response to a down year that had more to do with injuries than coaching.
