Courtesy of RITAthletics.com
ROCHESTER, NY – Former RIT baseball standout Jeff Albert was recently named hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball.
Albert, who played for RIT in 1999 and 2000, has served as the Astros’ Minor League hitting coordinator from 2013-17, before being promoted to second hitting coach for the 2018 season. Albert came to the Astros in 2012 after five seasons (2007-11) working as a Minor League hitting coach with the Cardinals.
A roving hitting instructor Albert moved into the role of Astros’ Minor League hitting coordinator for the 2013 season. He has worked with a number of the Astros’ hitters including Carlos Correa when the current Astros’ shortstop was a member of the Lancaster JetHawks of the Advanced-A California League.
Before arriving at RIT, Albert was a member of the 1997 Section V Class A2 champion Bishop Kearney Kings under hall-of-fame coach Ed Nietopski.
In two seasons at RIT, Albert, a third baseman, hit .301 with five home runs and 40 RBI, while maintaining a .373 on-base percentage and .440 slugging percentage in 69 games played. In 2000, Albert earned All-Empire 8 first team honors after hitting .351 with three home runs and 16 RBIs, while recording a .450 on-base percentage and .532 slugging percentage. Albert and the Tigers finished with a then school-record 22 victories that season, going 22-11.
Albert transferred to Division I Butler University after the 2000 season where he finished his college career. He earned his degree in finance from Butler in 2003 and went on to Louisiana Tech University where he received a master’s degree in exercise science.
Albert started as a hitting coach with the Batavia Muckdogs (then in the Cardinals’ farm system) in 2008. From 2009-11 he worked as a hitting coach with the Palm Beach Cardinals (Advanced-A Florida State League). In 2010, he served as the hitting coach for the Barranquilla Caimanes of Colombia Winter League. He also worked with Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League from 2015-16.
“I couldn’t be happier for Jeff,” said RIT head coach Rob Grow. “This affirms the hard work of a lifetime to be part of a major league staff. From the day he arrived at RIT to this announcement, Jeff has been the most inquisitive person I have ever met in regards to hitting mechanics.”
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