Braves hire Walt Weiss as new manager

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have their new manager, announcing they’ve promoted bench coach Walt Weiss to the position Monday evening.

President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos oversaw a monthlong process to find the franchise’s replacement for Brian Snitker, who transitioned into an advisory role after one of the most accomplished tenures in team history.

Ultimately, Anthopoulos went internal with the hire. Weiss has spent the past eight seasons with the Braves. He’s spent 11 seasons with the organization overall as a player and coach. And he becomes the 49th manager in franchise history.

Weiss, 61, will be the Braves’ fourth manager since 1990, following Bobby Cox (1990-2010), Fredi Gonzalez (2011-16) and Brian Snitker (2016-25).

A 1998 All-Star, Weiss hit .257/.354/.329 as a Brave from 1998-2000. He has managerial experience, having overseen the Rockies from 2013-16. Weiss went 283-365 (.437) in Colorado. He’s long been well-respected in the clubhouse by the Braves’ core players.

This hire continues the Bobby Cox coaching tree, which is all fans in their 30s and younger have known. Since Cox left his post as general manager and returned to the dugout in the 1990 season, the Braves have always had the Hall of Famer or one of his disciples overseeing the clubhouse.

Cox managed the Braves in two separate stints, from 1978-81 and then from 1990-2010. He helped orchestrate the greatest run in franchise history, which included 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series championship.

Gonzalez, who worked under Cox from 2003-06 before a tenure as Marlins manager, stepped into the role after Cox’s retirement. Gonzalez managed the Braves from 2011 until May 2016, when he was dismissed during the season.

Snitker, who spent multiple decades in the organization and another Cox trainee, took over as the interim. Snitker earned the full-time job and enjoyed an illustrious run that made Cox proud. He oversaw six division championships, seven consecutive playoff appearances and the seemingly improbable 2021 championship. He won 811 games, second only to Cox (2,149) in Atlanta-era (and modern) Braves history.

While Snitker had publicly expressed openness in continuing as the team’s manager, he ultimately transitioned into an advisory role, which he and the Braves announced in early October.

The Braves — Anthopoulos, specifically — wanted this to be a quiet search. There weren’t many rumblings about interviews or candidates, as there often are in these situations, and most speculation largely was unfounded. The Braves have taken pride in their lack of reporter leaks under Anthopoulos, commonly breaking their own news with team announcements.

Still, Weiss’ promotion comes as somewhat of a surprise. It was assumed in past years he could be Snitker’s successor, but after two underwhelming years — both plagued by roster injuries — there was outside thought the organization could opt for a fresh perspective.

But continuity has value, too. Weiss has seen many of the Braves’ best players emerge from prospects to key contributors. He’s been part of the organizational culture of which the Braves have been proud. He was part of the 2021 championship staff.

It remains to be seen how much, if any, of the staff Weiss will alter.

This is Anthopoulos’ third managerial hire. He hired John Farrell (2011) and John Gibbons (2013) as Blue Jays general managers. He inherited Snitker when taking over the Braves’ front office in fall 2017, opting to keep an open mind about the incumbent rather than rush to replace him with “his own” guy, and the two excelled as a pairing throughout the second-best run in franchise history.

This time, rather than anoint an outside up-and-comer or turn to a past familiar face from another organization, Anthopoulos again banked on the internal.

There have been nine clubs with managerial openings this cycle: the Giants, Rangers, Angels, Twins, Orioles, Nationals, Padres, Rockies and Braves. It would be easy to argue the Braves were the most coveted opening, not only for their front-office stability, recent sustained success and national brand, but because the team has its talented core signed over the long term, making this an optimal situation for immediate and extended success.

Now, Weiss gets the opportunity to establish himself as the next successful Braves manager. Despite the team’s 76-win 2025 campaign, he’s entering a situation where several tweaks and better health could vault the Braves back into the postseason.