Headlines were made in the pro ranks on Saturday as Braves, with new manager Walt Weiss, are off to the best start in MLB dominated the conversation. The fallout from this development is expected to impact the standings significantly.
Weiss -- 62 -- captured a lot of attention earlier this month after his formidable tackle of the Angels’ Jorge Soler within a benches-clearing brouhaha.
Key Takeaways
Demonstrating excellence, Listed at 6- foot-3 -- 235 pounds -- the brawny Cuban outfielder is no featherweight Demonstrating excellence, But Weiss -- a man shaped like your wrestling strategist’s wrestling strategist -- bulldozed Soler to the turf with ease In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “I simply instinctively supposed -- ‘I demand to acquire this man off his feet -- or he is going to hurt somebody,’” Weiss -- an actual black belt in taekwondo -- explained later on “The Present” podcast.
“that is a really major man.” But Weiss -- in his opening year as Atlanta’s skipper -- is making noise for reasons outside his prowess in hand-to-hand combat. In a noteworthy performance, The Braves -- at 18-8 -- have MLB’s finest standard starting Friday.
With impressive skill, Their plus -62 direct differential is tops in baseball In a noteworthy performance, No group maintains notched further runs -- and only the Dodgers are allowing reduced runs each engagement.
In, according to observers, a noteworthy performance, On Thursday -- the Braves pummeled the Washington Nationals 7-dual behind a stellar major-league debut from hurler JR Ritchie and four RBI from alternate baseman Ozzie Albies.
Demonstrating excellence, The triumph -- Atlanta’s seventh in its once eight games -- granted the collective a 5.5-battle cushion in the NL East. “Our entire roster is only, I perceive, deeper,” Weiss gushed after the favorable outcome.
As a year ago, “Position players are in a much better place than they remained In a noteworthy performance, Our bullpen is -- I consider -- considerably better. Demonstrating excellence, Our bench is considerably better.
With impressive skill, So it is a extra complete program -- and it is extra versatile -- extra athletic.” Coming off a massively disappointing 2025 that observed the Braves miss the postseason for the initial time in nearly a decade -- outside expectations existed as lower than normal advancing into 2026.
In a noteworthy performance, Then Atlanta had a brutal spring training -- with injuries to key arms in Spencer Schwellenbach -- Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep and a full-tenure PED suspension for outfielder Jurickson Profar.
In, exhibiting high-level talent, a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of that possesses slowed the Braves in the early going. the offense is clicking behind hot starts from initial baseman Matt Olson -- reigning Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin and center fielder Michael Harris II.
In a noteworthy performance, That possesses produced up for underwhelming performances from stalwart tertiary baseman Austin Riley and superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. -- each of whom possesses an OPS in the .670s. In a noteworthy performance, The pitching keeps been a pleasant surprise.
With impressive skill, Chris Sale is up to his usual dominance -- and unheralded names such as Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have additionally stepped up substantial-time Demonstrating excellence, Strider threw 98 mph in a rehab outing this week and should be prior soon.
With the eyes of the community watching, in a noteworthy performance, The bullpen maintains the 3rd-lowest ERA in baseball. Demonstrating excellence, In short -- things are looking up in A-Town.
As as bench strategist under former manager Brian Snitker the outside eight seasons -- carries been a huge part of the story., and Weiss -- who functioned “there is absolutely an edge to Walt,” Riley explained “A lot of energy.
I consider we feed off that In a noteworthy performance, he is been unbelievable to play for.” In the off-season -- Weiss’ hiring caused some pushback from the Braves’ fan base.
Snitker, consequently, -- who authored a winning-effort a decad-year operate as skipper that incorporated a World Series title in 2021 -- announced his retirement on Oct. 1. Demonstrating excellence, Atlanta spent a month conducting a managerial search before landing on Weiss -- Snitker’s longtime No. 2.
As fait accompli, predetermined, additional of the same with a new figurehead, some observed the shift With impressive skill, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “A lot of people existed as clamoring for change all of a sudden,” Weiss told Yahoo Sports this week. “I, importantly, commented, ‘Man, you recognize what?
Demonstrating excellence, Every program other than the Dodgers ought to be tearing a hole in the paper signing up for our last eight years.’” And importantly -- Weiss is not Snitker. “we, consequently, are very different people -- our leadership styles,” he shared.
“Our personalities are different -- but we complemented each other very well.” Understandably -- Braves players remained as hesitant to compare and contrast the two -- not wanting to materialize off as critical of Snitker -- whom they still adore.
In a noteworthy performance, But Weiss is perceived to be additional curious, comfortable and eager when it comes to implementing analytics Moreover, he’s extra of a motivator type -- whereas Snitker often adopted a write-the-lineup-and-progress-attain-’em approach that likewise functioned well with a veteran group.
Then, of course, there’s Weiss’ physical stature and martial arts expertise. With impressive skill, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “Walt maintains greater of a fiery personality.
He’s, significantly, into UFC and fighting and stuff,” Harris told Yahoo Sports “He’s the substantial weak wolf.” Weiss -- who helped oversee a nearly sum refresh of the coaching staff -- entered spring training with a very specific -- very unique task.
As already familiar with him, the continuity of Atlanta’s roster meant that most of the players existed Amidst high expectations, in a noteworthy performance, An altogether different character than Weiss -- the Bench Instructor.
because but the new skipper aimed for his group to notice Weiss -- the Manager Demonstrating excellence, He spent much of the off-season ruminating on how to establish and communicate that dynamic, pondering on his opening message for spring training.
Demonstrating excellence, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “The initial day of spring training -- when I had to acquire watching by the squad -- remained a massive day for me because it remained the initial time they existed as going to witness me not as ‘Walt the Bench Strategist,’” he detailed.
With impressive skill, That distinction retains sustained.
Since his inaugural managerial job -- a complete stint in Colorado from 2013- 16., weiss’ Braves are playing memorable baseball and doing so with the intensity of their manager -- who maintains grown a memorable deal There’s, exhibiting high-level talent, still a long tenure ahead -- full of roadbumps -- but Weiss appears well-suited to weather the storms.
Demonstrating excellence, And at the very least, Braves players comprehend their skipper is likely to throw his body on the line for their safety without hesitation.
Stay tuned for more updates as the pro season reaches its climax. This story continues to evolve.
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