Bleacher Report names 'best' and 'wildest' candidates for Braves managerial opening

In his most recent press conference, Alex Anthopoulos admitted he laughed at some of the names being connected to the Braves’ managerial opening, noting he hasn’t even begun the process of evaluating candidates following Brian Snitker’s decision to retire last week.

Atlanta’s upcoming search has the potential to be a fascinating process. This is a franchise that’s done things a certain way for more than three decades, hiring from within to maintain their culture. Some fans may be growing weary of that approach, but two World Series titles and 21 division crowns since 1991 suggest the formula has worked. There may be no reason to stray too far from it now.

That said, nobody truly knows what Anthopoulos is thinking. He’s earned a reputation as one of the most aggressive executives in baseball, and this will be his first managerial hire since taking over as general manager in 2017. If he identifies the right candidate — whether they have Braves ties or not — nobody should be surprised if he moves swiftly and decisively.

Over at Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer recently came up with the best and wildest candidates for each team with a managerial opening. For the Braves, it was a couple of familiar faces.

Best Candidate: Walt Weiss

It was no real surprise when Snitker stepped down on Wednesday. He won a World Series in 2021 and subsequently skippered 100-win teams in 2022 and 2023, but whatever magic touch he had wore off in the last two seasons.

As for where Atlanta goes next, the franchise tends to prefer managers with strong ties to the organization. Snitker fit the bill as a guy who had been steeped in Braves baseball for a decade, and Weiss is from the same mold.

He played under Bobby Cox from 1998 to 2000, and he started as Snitker’s bench coach in 2017. This was after a four-year stint as manager of the Rockies that, at least relative to the last three seasons, doesn’t look so bad in retrospect.

Even if the Braves make some tweaks here and there, it seems unlikely they will overhaul a roster that has had the same foundation for several years at this point. To this end, Weiss’ familiarity with the guys in the clubhouse would figure to be less of a liability and more of an asset.

If the Braves want to maintain the status quo, promoting bench coach Walt Weiss is the obvious move. He’s paid his dues and would likely bring a similar steady presence to the dugout that Brian Snitker provided throughout his tenure. Some fans might not be thrilled by the idea, but the reality is that Snitker was one of the better managers in baseball. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and the Braves could learn that the hard way if they don’t get this decision right.

Wildest Candidate: Chipper Jones

Ideas don’t get much more “wishful thinking” than this one, but who doesn’t want to see such a monumental Braves legend back in uniform and in the dugout?

And even if it’s unlikely, it’s not entirely outside the realm of plausibility. Jones has maintained close ties to the Braves organization, after all, and he just got his managing feet wet in the 2025 Futures Game. We also know he can give a motivational speech, at least as long as he can borrow at will from Major League.

From a nostalgia standpoint, seeing Chipper Jones lead the Braves out of the dugout with a tomahawk across his chest would be a dream come true for fans. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d make a great manager.

Jones himself even said he doesn’t think many aspects of the job would suit him.

“It has already been okayed by my family if I wanted to get back into it,” Jones said. “They are completely okay with it. They really enjoyed the Futures Game at the All-Star Game and that experience. That being said, I do not wish to manage… at all. I have no experience… There would be way too much interaction with people on your side of the fence (the media) that I probably wouldn’t get along with all that much. I don’t feel like it suits me very well.”

Managing in today’s game is more demanding than ever. Media relations have become one of the most critical parts of the job, and analytics now play a major role in nearly every decision. The ideal modern manager has to have a strong grasp of both, and frankly, many former players struggle to adapt to that balance.

That’s not to say Chipper Jones couldn’t evolve into one of the game’s better managers if that’s what he desired to do, but he doesn’t appear to have any interest in doing that, at least not anytime soon.