Why the Atlanta Braves’ Surprising Choice of Walt Weiss as Manager Could Change Everything

The Atlanta Braves have just unveiled their new manager—and it’s none other than a face fans know well. Walt Weiss, who’s been holding down the fort as the Braves’ bench coach since 2018, stepped into the spotlight Monday as the 49th manager in the storied franchise’s history. He’s succeeding Brian Snitker, the 2021 World Series-winning skipper who recently retired after a solid decade at the helm. And true to form for one of MLB’s tightest-lipped organizations, the Braves broke the news themselves, keeping it sleek and official.

This gig marks Weiss’ second managerial stint. Sure, his first rode a bumpy trail with the Colorado Rockies between 2013 and 2016—he battled with a scrappy roster and finished with a less-than-stellar 283-365 record . But after a brief hiatus, Walt found his groove in Atlanta, becoming Snitker’s indispensable right-hand man starting in 2018. At 61, sporting his signature goatee, Weiss has played a steady, influential role during the Braves’ recent heyday.

His promotion signals a desire for continuity amidst a tough spell; the Braves just wrapped up their roughest season since 2017, scraping a 76-86 record and landing a distant fourth in the NL East amid a National League that looked unusually weak. Injuries, underperformance, and a laundry list of halted seasons — from Ronald Acuña Jr. to Sean Murphy and beyond — left the roster limping. Now, Weiss faces the task of reviving a powerhouse that notched seven straight postseasons and six NL East crowns between 2018 and 2024.

By opting to elevate from within, Braves’ president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is clearly backing the familiar over an entirely new playbook. Weiss knows this crew inside and out, having been part of the team longer than almost every player on the roster. The respect he commands in the clubhouse is a big deal — something that might’ve been uncertain with an outsider. It screams confidence that 2025’s slump was just a fluke, not the dawn of a new era.

Weiss and Snitker might share a similar old-school, no-nonsense approach, but expect the new manager to mix in a sharper grasp of modern baseball analytics. And while this hire keeps much of the coaching staff intact, fresh adjustments are on the horizon — like filling Weiss’ old bench coach seat. It’s intriguing that it took over a month to finalize this decision; the Braves clearly weighed options beyond Weiss, but in the end, the tried and true culture won out.

Some may scoff at the idea that Weiss isn’t bringing groundbreaking innovation to the dugout. The Braves’ increasingly insular front office style raises eyebrows about whether this consistency breeds progress or stagnation. Still, given Atlanta’s recent run of success, sticking with what works might just be the smartest move.

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The Atlanta Braves have a new skipper, and it’s a very familiar face.

Walt Weiss, the club’s bench coach since 2018, was named the 49th manager in franchise history on Monday. He takes over for longtime head man Brian Snitker; the 2021 World Series winner retired last month after a decade in the big chair. The Braves, as is typical for the most tight-lipped organization in MLB, posted the news themselves.

This will be the second managerial gig of Weiss’ career. The 14-year big leaguer and 1988 AL Rookie of the Year helmed the Colorado Rockies, for whom he played four years, from 2013 to 2016. That tenure was decidedly unfruitful, as Weiss posted a 283-365 record with an undermanned roster in Denver. After a year off, he joined the Braves as Snitker’s right-hand man for the 2018 season. Since then, the goateed 61-year-old has been a steady presence and key character during this extremely prosperous period of Atlanta baseball.

As such, his hiring represents cultural continuity for a Braves team coming off its worst season since 2017. Atlanta finished a distant fourth in the NL East, with a paltry 76-86 record. In an embarrassingly weak National League field — the Reds made the playoffs, despite being just four games over .500 — the Braves concluded the campaign seven games adrift in the standings.

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Injuries and underperformance were dual culprits behind Atlanta’s disappointing 2025. Ronald Acuña Jr., Sean Murphy, Austin Riley, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and Reynaldo López all missed significant chunks of time. Michael Harris II and Marcell Ozuna took steps back offensively. Spencer Strider failed to rediscover his peak form after missing all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Major free-agent signing Jurickson Profar was limited to 80 games after being hit with a PED suspension late in spring training.

So now Weiss is tasked with getting things back on track for a franchise that made seven consecutive postseasons, including winning six NL East titles, between 2018 and 2024. It certainly doesn’t look like the most imposing turnaround job in MLB history; this Braves roster still has a plethora of enviable pieces. Simply put, another October spent on vacation would be considered a massive disappointment.

By promoting from within, the Braves and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos are effectively doubling down on the status quo. Weiss is a known commodity. He knows the organization, and the organization knows him. He has been with the big-league club longer than every current Braves player except Ozzie Albies.

Critically, the players respect Weiss and listen to what he has to say. For an outside hire, that would have been an open question — or at least a process. Instead, the Braves can plug and play. It’s a sign that Antholopolous and his very small inner circle view 2025 as an aberration, not the start of a trend.

Weiss and his predecessor are, obviously, their own men. But both are cut from a gruff, hold-no-punches, old-school cloth. Like Snitker, Weiss is direct, honest, unapologetic. But while Snitker was no dinosaur, expect the new guy to be a bit more nimble with the analytical intricacies of modern baseball. Weiss’ hiring also means that Atlanta’s 2026 coaching staff will likely feature many of the same characters as in years past, though his bench coach role will need filling.

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That it took more than a month between Snitker’s stepping down and Weiss’ stepping in is undeniably compelling. This was far from a preordained succession plan, even though Snitker was at Weiss’ introductory news conference on Tuesday. In the time since Snitker announced his retirement on Oct. 1, the Rangers, Angels, Giants, Twins, Nationals and Orioles all introduced new managers. That implies that Anthopoulos and Co. at the very least discussed and considered making an outside hire.

But while a number of coaches were linked to this job — Tigers bench Coach George Lombard, Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehman, former Mets bench coach and big-league skipper John Gibbons — the buttoned-up nature of Atlanta’s front office has thus far prevented news of any interviews from leaking to the public.

That is, from a pessimist’s perspective, the biggest critique of Weiss’ promotion. The Braves have grown increasingly insular in recent years. That consistency can be valuable, but it also heightens the risk of an institution growing stale and stagnant. Weiss isn’t likely to arrive with any groundbreaking, new ideas — something that might have been helpful for an Atlanta team trying to keep pace in a rapidly evolving baseball world.

He is more of the same, which, considering how successful the Braves have been in recent years, might a good thing.