The Atlanta Braves are searching for a new manager after Brian Snitker stepped down as the team’s skipper following the 2025 season. Whoever is hired to helm Atlanta in 2026 will be just the fourth Braves manager in the last 35 years.
Walt Weiss, Bruce Bochy, Mark DeRosa, David Ross and Tony Vitello were considered candidates for the position when Snitker made his announcement nearly a month ago. But Atlanta has held off on hiring a new manager. And The Athletic’s David O’Brien believes the delay is due to the team’s interest in Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann.
The Braves are waiting for the Dodgers’ World Series run to end before pursuing Lehmann, according to O’Brien. The hire would mark a new direction for Atlanta, with a move away from the Bobby Cox coaching tree. Lehmann would also represent a commitment to “cutting-edge analytics and process.”
Braves seek replacement for longtime manager Brian Snitker
Lehmann has a history with Braves GM / president of baseball operation Alex Anthopoulos. The two worked together from 2016-2017 in Los Angeles. Lehmann began his coaching career as an advance video scout for the Dodgers in 2015. And Anthopoulos was hired as LA’s vice-president of baseball operations the following year.
The Braves job is considered one of the more attractive openings in baseball. The team had reached the playoffs in seven straight seasons before falling short in 2025,
Atlanta boasts a talented core of players, including pitchers Chris Sale (who has a team opinion for 2026), Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach. The strong rotation combined with position players like Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and Matt Olson, leads insiders to believe the Braves will rebound from an off year and contend for the playoffs next season.
While Snitker stepped down as Atlanta’s manager, he’s not leaving the team. The veteran skipper will move into a senior advisory role with the Braves in 2026. The 70-year-old Snitker has been with the organization since 1977. He began as a player and transitioned to coaching in 1980.
Snitker spent 29 years as a manager with the franchise beginning in 1982. He worked through five different levels in the minors before taking over as the Braves manager in 2016. Snitker went 811-668 in 10 seasons at the helm in Atlanta. He reached the playoffs seven straight years and led the Braves to a World Series championship in 2021.
However, Atlanta has not won a postseason game since its World Series victory.
