Because the Braves have been perennial playoff contenders with a roster full of All-Stars, the odds of Walt Weiss taking home Manager of the Year in his first season aren’t particularly high. In a recent piece for ESPN, Bradford Doolittle didn’t even mention Weiss as a candidate — highlighting instead the likes of Craig Stammen, Oliver Marmol, Pat Murphy, Blake Butera, and Terry Francona.
It all feels a bit disingenuous. This was a Braves club that won just 76 games a year ago and missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. Weiss has pulled all the right strings through the first 60 games, and the latest example is his decision to roll with Jorge Mateo over the struggling Ha-Seong Kim.
Mateo doesn’t have the track record of an everyday shortstop. Over a seven-year career, he’s produced just one season with more than 1.0 WAR and never posted an OPS north of .670. But he seems to be enjoying whatever is in the water in Atlanta — currently hitting .319 with an OPS approaching .900 after two more home runs over the weekend.
Weiss has chosen to ignore the contracts of the players involved and simply focus on who gives the Braves the best chance to win on any given night. That’s resulted in Mateo starting at shortstop over Kim, who signed a one-year, $20 million deal to stay in Atlanta this offseason.
That’s not to say it’ll stay that way. Weiss said himself over the weekend that he’ll be taking the shortstop situation day-by-day, and Kim will get opportunities to win the job back. But the message to the rest of the clubhouse is crystal clear — perform when your number is called, and you’ll keep getting chances. By all accounts, the entire team has responded to that message.
No manager is going to succeed without talent, and the Braves have plenty of it. But the way Weiss has guided this team through a revolving door of injuries while maintaining a 100-win pace has been something worth recognizing. If this continues, there won’t be a more deserving candidate for Manager of the Year when the votes are cast.
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