The Atlanta Braves were perhaps more of a surprise this season than the Giants were. An unsuspecting National League East squad that was expected to finish in the middle of a somewhat competitive division, who ended up beating the big bad Dodgers and Astros, and winning the World Series. This team was expected to be good, but not good enough to win the World Series. But yet, after all the doubts and a bad record for most of the season, they overcame it all. One reason I often point to is the coaching quality Atlanta has to offer. They are perhaps the best in the National League, maybe in all of the MLB. They coached and built this squad from scratch, and pulled them to the top. Let’s dive into how coaching can influence players to be great, and exactly how these guys got so good.
Believe in your ability
If you have ever played Retro Bowl before, you know that you can easily win it all in the first season with a team. You spend all your money on the best players right off the bat to replace the bad players and go from a one-star team to a five-star team and win the Retro Bowl after only one season.
An actual front office for a sports franchise does not work that way. It takes many years of making small, smart decisions to slowly build up your team to the point where then you can spend a good amount on the best players. For some teams, it may take 20-30 years. That’s an absurdly long amount of time, but they do what is necessary to build up to greatness. Atlanta was patient and did not spend all their money on top free agents, they decided to take the long and gritty route, which ended up being the right choice.
Essentially, Atlanta coached up all of their players to the point where they could flip 2 or 3 of them for better players. They draft carefully to replace what they lost and coach them up as well. The ones with the best potential keep around to further their growth and progression, and they turn into recognizable names. The ones that aren’t quite good enough to become huge names are traded away for either household names or guys they see have very good potential. It’s a long and egregious process, but when done correctly builds the foundation of a team. But, without proper coaching, this will never be done correctly.
The Beginning of Something Great
2018 Atlanta was the future of the Braves. These were the guys they wanted to take to the next level. Freddie Freeman was who this squad was built around. Freddie was drafted as a top California prospect, and Atlanta developed him into an MVP. Ronald Acuna Jr was drafted before this season, and he had begun his development into what he is today, an MVP candidate. Ozzie Albies at Second Base was beginning to become a top Second Baseman, Dansby Swanson was being worked on to become a Gold Glove stud shortstop, Austin Riley at Third Base started to turn into a top Third Baseman. This was Atlanta’s core they would continue to build around.
The level of coaching in Atlanta opened up opportunities for better players to come into the organization to contribute. The Braves would look for guys with potential or had success prior, and just needed a few tweaks to become household names. One example would be Travis D’Arnaud, who had success with the Mets a few years prior but was becoming worse every year. Atlanta signed him in 2019 and worked with him and gave him the confidence he needed to become their starting catcher.
Another example is the 3 outfielders Atlanta traded for in 2021 to replace the injured outfielders Atlanta had developed. They traded for Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario. Atlanta was all in to win this season and decided to fill some holes with well-known players to further increase their chances of winning later in the season. Eddie Rosario had just been DFA’d by the Twins, Soler was not producing like his 2019 self, and Joc Pederson did not want to be on a down-spiraling Cubs team. The Braves made little tweaks in their game, and they ended up being colossal contributors to the Braves in the postseason. Eddie Rosario ended up winning WS MVP, Soler hit the big home run in game 6 to seal the deal against Houston, and Joc Pederson delivered time and time again throughout the season.
The Braves coaches were the cause of all this success. They built up the core and opened up these opportunities for the Braves to continue to get better, and even after these big additions they progressed them as well to make their additions even more valuable.
Now, who exactly are we to praise for all of this? It’s time I introduce you to the people responsible for the progression of this franchise.
Manager: Brian Snitker
One of the most respected managers in the league. Brian has been with Atlanta for 40 years and is now getting his first taste of success. An old-school approach to the game, which you will find all Braves coaches do. Brian makes the right moves in the game and has commanded everyone in his grip extremely well. Brian has run this organization beautifully, and his hard work is now paying off.
Bench Coach: Walter Weiss
Former Major League shortstop who is the Robin to Snitker’s batman. These two think brilliantly alike and are always on the same page at all times. He influences a lot of decisions Snitker makes. If you ever watch a Braves game, you can constantly see Snitker and Weiss gelling together, making decisions to help the Braves have success.
Third Base Coach: Ron Washington
Ah yes, Ronnie Washington, another former ballplayer who has spent 50 years in baseball. Washington is very knowledgeable and is the infield coach for the Braves. He is responsible for turning guys like Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, and Freddie Freeman into Gold Glove-winning infielders. Here he is explaining his mindset and drills he goes over with his players (MLB Network). Ron says, “After a while when the playing time stop(s), you become a giver. People gave it to you, and to keep the game going in the direction you want it to go in you have to give back”. Perfectly said, Ron.
First Base Coach: Eric Young
Eric has assumed the role of the outfield coach for Atlanta, and he has contributed beyond necessary. He has turned Ronald Acuna Jr into an absolute monster and kept guys sharp who are veteran defensive players such as Ender Inciarte, Nick Markakis, Marcell Ozuna, and Adam Duvall. Eric has coaching experience with the Rockies and Rangers and has finally won his first ring.
Now, these are not the only men responsible for the success and progression of the Braves core I don’t have enough time in a day to talk about everyone. But, without that great coaching and development, the Braves would be lost and would not be the power franchise they are today.
