Just hours after the Braves’ season came to a close, manager Brian Snitker confirmed his return for the 2025 season, expressing his eagerness for Spring Training to start immediately. At 68 years old and having spent over four decades with the organization, Snitker acknowledged that his career is nearing its conclusion, but he’s determined to lead the Braves back to championship contention before stepping away.
This season saw significant changes to the Braves’ coaching staff after Ron Washington departed to manage the Los Angeles Angels, taking Eric Young Sr. with him. In their place, Matt Tuiasosopo was promoted to Third Base Coach, and Tom Goodwin took over as First Base Coach. Despite these adjustments, the Braves’ struggles—particularly with offensive consistency—left fans frustrated, and many are calling for a shift in approach moving forward.
The need for change is especially apparent in the team’s hitting philosophy, particularly with runners in scoring position. Club legend Chipper Jones has been vocal about his concerns, emphasizing a return to fundamentals. On the “Casa de Klub” podcast, via Sportsnaut, Jones expressed his frustration with modern baseball’s tendency to overlook situational hitting.
“I’m old school, man, and it’s not going away,” Jones said. “Working with the Braves the last couple of years has been very frustrating. I can’t stand giving away outs, I can’t stand strikeouts, and I can’t deal with a guy on third, less than two outs, hitting a ground ball to shortstop or second base.”
Jones also lamented the lack of bunting and small ball in today’s game, saying, “A hundred RBIs? So what. This is truly a ‘chicks dig the long ball’ kind of era.”
While Snitker and his staff did manage to navigate numerous challenges in 2024, it’s clear that changes are necessary to avoid another early postseason exit. However, given the circumstances, the current coaching group has done a commendable job, and Snitker may stick with his staff for another season, hoping to make adjustments and return to form in 2025.
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