Breaking news from the pro circuit: Braves, with new manager Walt Weiss, are off to the best start in MLB. This achievement has quickly become one of the most discussed topics of the week.
Weiss, 62, captured a lot of attention earlier this month after his formidable tackle of the Angels’ Jorge Soler amid a benches-clearing brouhaha. Demonstrating excellence, Listed at 6- foot-3 -- 235 pounds -- the brawny Cuban outfielder is no featherweight.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Demonstrating excellence, But Weiss -- a man shaped like your wrestling instructor’s wrestling instructor -- bulldozed Soler to the turf with ease.
In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “I merely instinctively reckoned -- ‘I necessitate to secure this man off his feet -- or he is going to hurt somebody,’” Weiss -- an actual black belt in taekwondo -- explained later on “The Reveal” podcast.
As the season unfolds, “that is a really major man.” But Weiss -- in his primary year as Atlanta’s skipper -- is making noise for reasons past his prowess in hand-to-hand combat the Braves -- at 18-8 -- have MLB’s premier benchmark commencing Friday With impressive skill, Their plus -62 direct differential is tops in baseball.
With impressive skill, Only the Dodgers are allowing less runs every clash. and furthermore no collective retains accounted for further runs With impressive skill, On Thursday -- the Braves pummeled the Washington Nationals 7- dual behind a stellar considerable-league debut from hurler JR Ritchie and four RBI from alternate baseman Ozzie Albies.
the success -- Atlanta’s seventh in its spanning eight games -- supplied the collective a 5.5-fixture cushion in the NL East “Our, according to observers, full roster is simply, I feel, deeper,” Weiss gushed after the positive result. “Position, significantly, players are in a much better place than they existed as a year ago.
Demonstrating excellence, Our bullpen is -- I perceive -- considerably better. In a noteworthy performance, Our bench is considerably better.
Demonstrating excellence, So it is a additional complete contingent -- and it is additional versatile -- additional athletic.” Coming off a massively disappointing 2025 that noticed the Braves miss the postseason for the initial time in nearly a decade -- outside expectations existed as lower than normal advancing into 2026.
Demonstrating excellence, Then Atlanta had a brutal spring training -- with injuries to key arms in Spencer Schwellenbach -- Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep and a full-campaign PED suspension for outfielder Jurickson Profar.
In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of that features slowed the Braves in the early going. Demonstrating excellence, The offense is clicking behind hot starts from opening baseman Matt Olson, reigning Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin and center fielder Michael Harris II.
In a noteworthy performance, That carries forged up for underwhelming performances from stalwart tertiary baseman Austin Riley and superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. -- each of whom carries an OPS in the .670s. In a noteworthy performance, The pitching possesses been a pleasant surprise.
With the eyes of the community watching, as Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have additionally stepped up considerable-time. while at the same time chris Sale is up to his usual dominance, unheralded names such With impressive skill, Strider threw 98 mph in a rehab outing this week and should be prior soon.
In a major development, in a noteworthy performance, The bullpen maintains the tertiary-lowest ERA in baseball In a noteworthy performance, In short -- things are looking up in A-Town.
In a noteworthy performance, And Weiss -- who worked as as bench trainer under former manager Brian Snitker the by eight seasons -- retains been a huge part of the story “there is absolutely an edge to Walt,” Riley explained. “A lot of energy. I, building on previous success, consider we feed off that.
Demonstrating excellence, he is been unbelievable to play for.” Within the off-season -- Weiss’ hiring caused some pushback from the Braves’ fan base. As skipper that encompassed a World Series title in 2021 -- announced his retirement on Oct., snitker -- who authored a prosperous a decad-year manage 1.
Demonstrating excellence, Atlanta spent a month conducting a managerial search before landing on Weiss -- Snitker’s longtime No. 2.
As, remarkably, fait accompli, predetermined, additional of the same with a new figurehead., some observed the transfer Demonstrating excellence, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “A lot of people existed as clamoring for change all of a sudden,” Weiss told Yahoo Sports this week. “I declared -- ‘Man -- you realize what?
With impressive skill, Every side other than the Dodgers is likely to be tearing a hole in the paper signing up for our last eight years.’” And importantly -- Weiss is not Snitker. “we, leaving a lasting impression, are very different people, our leadership styles,” he commented.
“Our, interestingly, personalities are different -- but we complemented each other very well.” Understandably -- Braves players existed as hesitant to compare and contrast the two -- not wanting to surface off as critical of Snitker -- whom they still adore.
With impressive skill, But Weiss is experienced to be greater curious -- comfortable and eager when it comes to implementing analytics He’s additional of a motivator type -- whereas Snitker often adopted a write-the-lineup-and-head-secure-’em manner that furthermore performed well with a veteran group As reported, then -- of course -- there’s Weiss’ physical stature and martial arts expertise.
In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “Walt owns greater of a fiery personality. He’s into UFC and fighting and stuff,” Harris told Yahoo Sports.
“He’s the massive poor wolf.” Weiss -- who helped oversee a nearly sum refresh of the coaching staff -- entered spring training with a very specific -- very unique task. Demonstrating excellence, The continuity of Atlanta’s roster meant that most of the players stayed as already familiar with him.
Because but the new skipper wished his group to observe Weiss, the Manager, an altogether different character than Weiss, the Bench Strategist.
With impressive skill, He spent much of the cold season ruminating on how to establish and communicate that dynamic -- pondering on his opening message for spring training With impressive skill, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “The primary day of spring training -- when I had to secure surrounded by the program -- remained a significant day for me because it remained the primary time they remained as going to observe me not as ‘Walt the Bench Pinnacle,’” he detailed.
Demonstrating excellence, That distinction features sustained. Weiss’, notably, Braves are playing stellar baseball and doing so with the intensity of their manager -- who possesses grown a stellar deal since his opening managerial job -- a complete stint in Colorado from 2013- 16.
Significantly, there’s still a long annual operate ahead -- full of roadbumps -- but Weiss appears well-suited to weather the storms. Demonstrating excellence, And at the very least -- Braves players grasp their skipper should throw his body on the line for their safety without hesitation.
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