Legendary Cleveland slugger aims for MLB hitting coach job

The Cleveland Guardians faced significant challenges at the plate this past season, ending up near the bottom in nearly every key hitting statistic.

Cleveland needs to revitalize its bats for 2026, and a former slugger might be willing to lend a hand.

Former Major League Baseball player Manny Ramirez is looking to be a hitting coach, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"Manny Ramirez is getting word out to all 30 teams that he’d love to serve as an MLB hitting coach," Heyman wrote on Thursday. “He wants to bring his greatness to teach the young guys,” his agent, Hector Zepeda, said.

Ramirez played for the Cleveland Indians from 1993 to 2000, appearing in 967 games. During his time there, he recorded 1,086 hits, 236 home runs and 804 RBIs, all while maintaining a .313 batting average.

In the winter of 2000, the 12-time All-Star made a significant move away from Cleveland, inking a groundbreaking eight-year, $160 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Ramirez hung up his cleats in 2011 after appearing in five games with the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, he's eager to step in and mentor a group of MLB hitters.

Ramirez believes he could be a great hitting coach if given the opportunity.

"I could teach hitting, I just need the opportunity," Ramirez said on Sept. 30, on "Foul Territory". "To be honest, I spoke to Boston last year. We were talking a little bit, and they hired a guy from Driveline. We were talking, then they never got back to me, you know, like getting serious about it, they never got back to me, so I couldn't see if there was a real opportunity for me to teach these kids how to hit, because sometimes you know you see all these kids with all this talent and they seem kind of lost."

There should be a team out there willing to take a chance on hiring Ramirez as their hitting coach. It seems unlikely that Cleveland will consider him, particularly since Grant Fink has just completed his first season in the role after taking over for former hitting coach Chris Valaika, who left after 2024 to join Terry Francona with the Cincinnati Reds.

It would be intriguing to see Ramirez take on the role of hitting coach for the Guardians, especially considering their bats have room for improvement. He could offer valuable insights and adjustments to certain players, potentially boosting their performance.