ATLANTA -- Walt Weiss has served as Brian Snitker’s top lieutenant over the past eight seasons. He will now be calling the shots in Atlanta.
Weiss was named the Braves’ manager on Monday, the club announced. He is just the fourth person to fill this role since his mentor Bobby Cox transitioned from general manager to manager during the 1990 season.
Weiss will be formally introduced as the Braves' manager during a press conference at Truist Park on Tuesday. Snitker, who served as Atlanta's manager from 2016-2025, and Chipper Jones are among those expected to attend. Both are currently employed as special assistants within the organization.
Why did the Braves wait a month before making an internal hire? The club wanted to take advantage of the chance to get a better feel for all external candidates and to also better understand how Weiss the manager would differ from Weiss the bench coach. But with that being said, there's still reason to question why a decision might not have been made during an offday during the World Series.
Weiss wasn't even informed of the team's decision until Monday.
There is also reason to question why the Braves would go with an internal hire instead of just keeping Snitker in the managerial role for one more season. Snitker exited this season thinking he may want to continue managing. But after discussing his future with Braves officials for two days, he ultimately decided to end a managerial tenure that included six straight National League East titles (2018-23) and one World Series title (2021).
Weiss served as Snitker's bench coach throughout this successful stretch. But he will now have a chance to express his own unique voice and managerial style. He will be working with a far more accomplished roster and front office than he had while constructing a .437 winning percentage as the Rockies' manager from 2013-16. This stands as his only previous managerial experience.
With the expectation Snitker was going to retire, there was a lot of speculation throughout this year about who might serve as the Braves manager in 2026. Mark DeRosa and David Ross were speculated as candidates during the summer months, but the team never showed much interest in either. Thoughts about Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann being a strong candidate also seemed to be overblown.
The Braves ultimately extended a four-decade link to Cox, who turned the organization around after he became Atlanta’s GM following the 1985 season and then transitioned to the manager’s role during the 1990 season.
Cox remained Atlanta’s manager through his retirement after the 2010 season. His vacancy was filled by Fredi González, who was Atlanta’s manager until he was replaced by Snitker six weeks into the 2016 season.
While González and Snitker coached under Cox in Atlanta, Weiss was the legendary skipper’s shortstop in Atlanta from 1998-2000.
So, Cox’s influence will continue to be felt in Atlanta.