The players deserve criticism. Jurickson Profar spurned the team, forcing us to watch a combination of Eli White, Alex Verdugo, Jarred Kelenic, and Bryan De La Cruz. Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies are two of the worst hitters in the entire sport, and while Austin Riley’s 2025 campaign is exponentially better than any of the aforementioned disappointments, he’s playing well below expectations.
Injuries have certainly taken their toll as well. Sean Murphy, Spencer Strider, Joe Jimenez, Daysbel Hernandez, Spencer Schwellenbach, A.J. Smith-Shawver, and Chris Sale have all missed considerable time.
The roster was flawed to begin with. Alex Anthopoulos deserves to shoulder that blame, and even the coaching staff deserves criticism. Tim Hyers has not proven to be capable of getting the Braves offense back on track, and even though I always say Brian Snitker doesn’t have as big of an impact as some might believe, his hands aren’t clean in all of this.
In fact, oddsmakers see Snitker as the fall guy in Atlanta. Though it seems incredibly improbable, the Braves skipper is now the odds-on favorite to be the next MLB manager fired, per BetOnline’s odds.
- Brian Snitker (+300)
- Matt Kotsay (+350)
- Matt Quatraro (+400)
- Stephen Vogt (+450)
- Torey Lovullo (+600)
- Alex Cora (+600)
I think most people in Braves Country would be shocked if the club pulled the plug on Brian Snitker. There have been multiple reports that Snitker is considering retirement after nearly 50 years with the organization. His contract is up; he’s hinted at the possibility of retiring, and this season has been one of the toughest in recent memory after a brutal 2024 campaign. All signs point to Brian Snitker stepping back in 2026.
I’m not saying the Braves won’t fire him, but it seems unlikely. Snit has had plenty of head-scratching decisions, but managers in baseball have very little impact on the outcome of games in today’s baseball. Roster holes were left unfilled, and players aren’t performing. There’s not much Snitker can do about that.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
