Walt Weiss didn’t just inherit a Braves team that had stumbled to 76-86 and missed the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. He turned that group into an NL East champion in his first year on the job.
That performance put the Atlanta manager in the mix for National League Manager of the Year, but the Baseball Writers’ Association of America went with Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy. Murphy, who guided the Brewers to their first World Series title, won the award for the third straight year. Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, who replaced Rob Thomson in April, was also a finalist and finished third.
Weiss’ first season came in a strange one for Atlanta. The Braves managed to stay on top of the division despite a string of injuries and the absence of one of their key outfield pieces, Jurickson Profar, who served a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second straight season.
Atlanta also had to survive long stretches without Ronald Acuña Jr., who was sidelined by a hamstring injury, and right-handed reliever Robert Suarez, who missed months with an elbow injury. Even so, Weiss kept the club steady enough to reach the postseason, where the Braves beat the Phillies in the Wild Card Series before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
They did it with just two rotation arms in Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle. And after several seasons as Brian Snitker’s bench coach, Weiss’ first year as manager has at least pointed toward what could be ahead for the Braves, even with baseball’s 2027 outlook clouded by the possibility of a lockout.
In Other News...
Chris Sale Has Turned Into A Bigger Braves Question Than Expected
Chris Sale arrived in Atlanta with the usual questions that follow a pitcher with an injury history and a long track record, but the early takeaway has been less about survival than dominance. Over the past three seasons, he has piled up results that place him near the top of the sport in ERA, FIP and pitching run value, the kind of production that makes it hard to treat him like a short-term gamble.
Sales age only sharpens the conversation for the Braves, because very few starters have managed this kind of sustained excellence deep into their 30s. He is one of the rare pitchers to put together three straight seasons with an ERA+ above 160, which leaves Atlanta weighing not just what he has already given them, but how much longer this version of Sale might still be out there. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Drew A Hard Line Around Ronald Acua Jr
Ronald Acua Jr. is not going anywhere this winter, and Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos made sure that point came through clearly while outlining the clubs offseason priorities. Acua remains central to everything Atlanta wants to do, even after an injury-marred season, and the front office is treating his return as part of the foundation rather than a variable to move on from.
With that line drawn, the Braves can focus on the rest of the roster, starting with a rotation that needs attention and a shortstop situation that still has to be sorted out. Left field and the bullpen are also on the list, and Atlanta is looking at ways to add right-handed bats while filling out the lineup around Acua instead of imagining life without him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Have A New Reason To Feel Good About Walt Weiss
The annual Manager of the Year conversation has a familiar feel around baseball, with a handful of skippers being recognized for guiding their clubs through long seasons, roster churn and the constant pressure that comes with the job. For Atlanta, the latest round of finalists offers a fresh point of pride in Walt Weiss, whose work has now put him in the same national spotlight as some of the games most respected dugout voices.
Weiss has been part of a season that gave Braves fans plenty to follow beyond the standings, including an April dustup with the Angels that briefly put him at the center of the action. With the winners being announced on MLB Network and MLB+, the attention now shifts to how his year stacks up against the rest of the field and what it says about the respect he has earned inside the game. [Read more 🡒]