Tigers' latest coaching change might've been 'too many cooks in the kitchen' situation

Hitting coach Keith Beauregard will not return to the Detroit Tigers next season, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press – but the organization may not even have to replace him.

After all, Beauregard was one of three Tigers hitting coaches on contract that expired after the 2025 season. Although he decided to leave to pursue other opportunities in baseball, there's still a possibility that hitting coach Michael Brdar and assistant hitting coach Lance Zawadzki could return to the staff in 2026.

When Beauregard joined the Tigers ahead of the 2023 season (coming from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ player development system), the organization was fresh off being statistically one of the worst hitting teams in baseball in 2022. The hope was that a collaborative structure – Beauregard’s mechanical and data-driven approach, Brdar’s swing-plane and decision-making expertise, and Zawadzki’s on-field feel – would modernize Detroit’s approach at the plate.

But perhaps Beauregard’s exit hints at a philosophical overload. The Tigers have been unique in carrying three hitting coaches, which is rare even in today’s data-heavy MLB. While collaboration can be powerful, it often becomes counterproductive when each coach has a slightly different philosophy – especially for younger hitters trying to find consistency. Just ask Eric Chavez, who was just dismissed from the New York Mets and had a lot to say about the co-hitting coach situation.

Tiger should seek less democracy, more direction on hitting philosophy

Beauregard was known for mechanics and launch-angle optimization (his Dodgers background emphasized batted-ball quality). Brdar focused on approach, strike-zone control and pitch recognition. Zawadski worked on on-field drills, rhythm and contact adjustments.

In theory, that’s a balanced staff. In practice, it may have led to the lack of a singular "voice" in Detroit's offensive plan. If players were receiving three slightly different messages on the same flaw, it may have created paralysis by analysis.

Most successful modern teams operate with one lead hitting coach and one assistant, allowing for cohesion and clear messaging. The Dodgers (ironically, Beauregard’s former employer) have two main hitting coaches who share a unified language. Some other clubs do the same.

Detroit’s three-coach structure may have made sense during their developmental rebuild phase, when dozens of young hitters were cycling through. But now that the team is aiming to contend, streamlining communication is more valuable than splitting responsibility.

Beauregard’s departure likely reflects more than just performance; it's a philosophical realignment. The Tigers’ hitters under Beauregard showed flashes but never identity. His exit feels like Detroit’s quiet acknowledgment that “more” wasn’t better – that three voices created confusion, rather than cohesion. If the Tigers want to take the next step offensively, they don’t need another new voice; they need one clear, consistent one.