The New York Mets have taken another hit this offseason — and now, it comes from their biggest rival. The Atlanta Braves vs. Mets rivalry flared up again Wednesday when the Braves announced the hiring of former Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first base coach Antoan Richardson, two respected voices from New York’s staff.
The Athletic’s David O’Brien shared the hirings on X (formerly known as Twitter), detailing the moves that caught many Mets fans off guard.
“#Braves hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach. Hefner, 39, spent past 6 seasons with Mets, who had NL’s 6th-best ERA in that span. They also hired Antoan Richardson, 42, as 1st-base coach. He spent past 2 seasons in that role with Mets and was also OF & baserunning instructor.”
Hefner played a key role in elevating the Mets coaching staff, helping guide a rotation that ranked among the league’s top ten in ERA across multiple seasons. Richardson, meanwhile, transformed New York’s baserunning, helping the team lead the NL with 152 stolen bases in 2025. Both hires are viewed as lateral moves but carry heavy symbolism given the division rivalry.
The news sent Mets fans into a frenzy online.
“Are you f*cking kidding me?” wrote popular Mets YouTuber and personality Tyler Ward (@WardyNYM).
“Wow,” SNYTV's Joe Demayo posted (@PSLToFlushing), summing up the disbelief that spread across Mets social media.
@LakerFranko24 added, “The one guy from the coaching staff u absolutely had to keep smh.”
Others took direct aim at team leadership. “@StevenACohen2 terrible look. You sign Soto who credits Richardson w/making him a star base stealer, then Stearns lets him walk to a division rival in the same role? Stearns is destroying this team,” said @Hustlediva1.
For the Braves, hiring Hefner and Richardson is a calculated, low-cost move that improves both their pitching development and base-running strategy. For the Mets, it’s another self-inflicted setback in an offseason already clouded by uncertainty surrounding Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.
The symbolism isn’t lost on anyone. Losing key coaches to the Braves stings as much as dropping a series, and the Hefner hire reinforces Atlanta’s opportunism while leaving Mets fans questioning how their front office allowed it to happen.
