Is 2026 going to be the year of the former player turned coach?
It seems that may end up happening. Albert Pujols is very serious about becoming a manager and has already interviewed with the Los Angeles Angels about the role. Yadier Molina wants to manage, and now Manny Ramirez wants to throw his hat in the ring for a hitting coach job. There are certainly teams out there who could use these three former players as either a manager or a hitting coach.
Manny Ramirez is one of the clutchest hitters of all time and is a legendary home run hitter with 555 homers, 15th on the list. He is now serious about coaching.
“Manny Ramirez is getting word out to all 30 teams he’d love to serve as an MLB hitting coach. “He wants to bring his greatness to teach the young guys,” his agent Hector Zepeda said. Credentials: 555 HRs, .312 BA, .996 OPS.”
Once the season ends, we will get a clearer idea of who will be looking to hire a hitting coach. The San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, and Angels will be hiring new managers, and there could be more openings in a few weeks. Pujols and Yadi want to be managers of a team, and if they feel that Manny Ramirez would be a good hitting coach, they could consider bringing him on board.
Ramirez could be a good hitting coach for a team like the San Diego Padres. After Mike Shildt retired, the team will be bringing in a new staff, and improving the offense is going to be a top priority. The Padres were not a good slugging team at all in 2025, and it hurt them when it mattered most. Ramirez, as well as Albert Pujols, could come in and change the culture there.
This offseason will be a fun one to watch with this trio of former players.
