MLB: Padres has a new hitting coach and is a 27-year-old rookie

The San Diego Padres are hiring Michael Brdar as hitting coach. San Diego had targeted Brdar as a candidate. Brdar, unbelievably, lands a hitting coach job in the majors at just 27 years old.

An infielder at the University of Michigan during his playing days, his professional career consisted of just 31 games with the ST’s rookie affiliate. Louis Cardinals in 2017:

However, Brdar clearly impressed those around the game with his communication skills and understanding of the trade. After finishing his playing days, he spent a couple of seasons on Michigan’s coaching staff before assuming the role of minor league hitting coordinator for the Giants.

That rapid rise will continue with Brdar landing his first job on a major league team. He will lead the Padres offensive core that is among the most talented in the league, but fell short of its potential in 2021. San Diego hitters (excluding pitchers) posted a line of .249 / .330 / .413 in the past. season.

After factoring in your local pitcher-friendly park, that was roughly three percentage points above the league average, but still ranked 12th out of 30 league teams. For a Padres team that entered the year with legitimate World Series aspirations, that registered as something of a disappointment:

There have been many changes to San Diego’s coaching staff, none more notable than the removal of manager Jayce Tingler. Veteran boss Bob Melvin came from the Athletics to take on the role of foreman in San Diego, and Tingler’s staff had the opportunity to explore other positions elsewhere.

It may interest you: MLB Former Padres manager Jayce Tingler is now Twins bench coach

Damion Easley, who has spent the past two seasons as the Friars ‘hitting coach, is expected to leave the organization to become the Diamondbacks’ assistant hitting coach. He will work alongside Arizona’s incoming hitting coach Joe Mather.

Rafael Martinez

I am fond of the King of Sports, especially the Boston Red Sox in MLB and in general all of Mexican baseball. This profession has given me the opportunity to cover major events such as the Caribbean Series, LMB All Star, LMP (uninterrupted since 2009), signings of important players. I had the chance to attend the 2013 World Classic in Arizona, USA, albeit as a fan. Apart from this beautiful sport, I love basketball, where I have also narrated games and even an NBA friendly 10 years ago, but I carry baseball in my veins. Bachelor of Communication Sciences from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) , from which I graduated in 2011. I was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa and started in the world of sports journalism in 2004 in the newspaper El Sol de Mazatlán, where I was a baseball columnist and reporter at the same time. In January 2009 I came to El Debate as a journalist reporter and it was almost six years (in the first stage), until in November 2014 I emigrated to the radio providing my services in Línea Directa-Grupo RSN. My cycle there ended in July 2019 and after a few days, El Debate gave me another opportunity to work and opened the doors for me again. That is how I came to Al Bat, where I have been since 2019 as a web journalist.

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