The Atlanta Braves name Tim Hyers as hitting coach, leaving a void on the Rangers staff

There will be changes to the Rangers' offensive hierarchy for 2025.

Or should we say “Hyers-archy”?

Tim Hyers, the hitting coach for the past three seasons, joined the Atlanta Braves as hitting coach, replacing Kevin Seitzer, whom Atlanta did not bring back after 10 years. Hyers, 53, is an Atlanta native and still lives in the Atlanta area. Between the end of his major league playing career and his beginning as a scout, Hyers had given private hitting lessons in the Atlanta area.

In a text exchange with The Dallas Morning NewsHyers said the decision left him “sleepless” for several days due to his affinity with the Rangers organization, but the opportunity to move closer to home was a major factor.

Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young, who was traveling this week, said at the end of the season that all coaches had been invited back for the 2025 season. But the Rangers didn't stand in the way of promotion either. Both offensive coordinator/bench coach Donnie Ecker and assistant manager Will Venable have applied for the manager position with the Chicago White Sox. Ecker is no longer involved.

The Hyers play is slightly different in that it is technically a lateral move, although it was the proxy for the Rangers' offensive approach. He joined the Rangers for the 2022 season as the hitting staff was revamped and the team hired two incumbent hitting coaches from different clubs to lead their offense.

Ecker came from San Francisco and took on the title of bench coach/offensive coordinator, Hyers came from Boston as hitting instructor. He also previously served as an assistant hitting instructor with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016-17. At each stop in his major league coaching career, Hyers' teams have won a World Series.

In year two of the Ecker-Hyers tandem, the offense was explosive, averaging 5.44 runs per game with a .790 OPS. Both figures ranked third in the MLB. However, the Rangers experienced a significant decline in 2024, largely due to difficult fastball performance. Adolis García, Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras all had long slips. The Rangers ranked 18th in runs per game and 23rd in OPS at .690.

The Rangers are expected to search for a hitting coach to work alongside Ecker, but there are a few internal candidates who could step up, including assistant hitting coach Seth Conner, who was there for the three years he was there , who played a key role in Arlington's offseason training staff, minor league hitting manager Cody Atkinson, who has worked with Ecker for a long time, and minor league hitting coordinator Eric Dorton, who has received some interest from clubs in a major league hitting position and potential Triple-A Round Rock coaches Matt Lawson and Chase Lambin.

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