Braves hiring Walt Weiss as next manager to replace Brian Snitker

The Atlanta Braves are promoting Walt Weiss. The Braves struck a deal to hire Weiss as their next manager on Monday afternoon, the team announced. Weiss, who has been the team’s bench coach since 2018, will replace Brian Snitker as their manager.

Snitker stepped down from the role last month, but will remain with the organization as a senior adviser.

Weiss played as a shortstop in the league for 14 seasons, including his final three with the Braves before retiring in 2000. He earned his lone All-Star nod with the Braves in 1998.

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Weiss has been a coach in Major League Baseball for more than a decade now. He spent four seasons as the manager for the Colorado Rockies from 2013-16, where he compiled a 283-365 overall record. The team didn’t make the postseason under his watch. Weiss was then hired as the Braves’ bench coach in 2018, and he’s been there ever since.

Snitker was hired as the team’s interim manager in 2016, and he helped lead the franchise to a World Series title in 2021. He retired after this season, however, after the Braves missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Snitker, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, had always considered Weiss his right-hand man and his choice to replace him. Now, even with the Snitker era over, the franchise is sticking with Weiss.

The Braves went 76-86 this past season, which marked their first losing campaign since 2017, and they were widely considered one of the most disappointing teams in the league. But the Braves will have much of their lineup back next season and a very solid rotation to work with.

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Weiss undoubtedly is in a great situation for his second run as a manager in the league. He’s already proven that he can win in this system, having done it repeatedly in an assistant role. Weiss will now be tasked with taking the next step up and getting the Braves back to their winning ways, starting with a postseason berth next fall. Clearly, the team’s front office is confident in their succession plan.