Braves Brian Snitker Future as Manager Beyond 2025 Remains Uncertain

It’s to be determined who will be the Atlanta Braves manager in 2026. Manager Brian Snitker recently told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman that he’s going to let this season play out and make a decision. 

“I’ll let the year get underway and see what happens,” he said. 

Snitker is in the final year of his contract. It puts him at a crossroads. 

It would be the end of an era, should he call it quits. He has been the manager for a decade and has been in the Braves organization for nearly 50 years. He played in the organization in the minors and has been a manager at different levels of the minors as well as a coach on the Major League staff on and off. 

Questions regarding Snitker’s future date back to last season when the Braves were struggling in the summer months. Little speculation had to do with him departing before the end of his contract. This upcoming offseason has and remains the focal point. 

There are two factors fueling speculation, and both have already been addressed in some way in this piece. One is the Braves' on-field performance. It’s only natural that after a 0-4 start to the season, Snitker is going to get further talk about a potential retirement. 

That key word “retirement” brings us to the next reason, his age. You don’t get to pack 50 years of professional baseball experience under your belt and stay young. Father time won’t allow it - and it still wouldn’t be allowed even if he decided to retire years ago. 

The debate isn’t if the Braves are going to dismiss him. At almost 70 years old, he’s going to have some level of choice if he wants to keep going. He’s going to take his time making up his mind. Calling it a career is a life-changing decision. 

He has to balance staying around while he’s still up for the task but not staying too long. The Braves could be happy he’s around in 2026, but he might be halfway through the season and ready to be home with his family. 

He has 158 games to decide if this is his last season. There is so much baseball left that he might have more than that to decide. 

Bobby Cox and Frank Selee are the only managers in franchise history with more wins than Snitker, who is 735-585 over his nine-plus seasons. The Braves won six-straight division titles under Snitker as well as a World Series title in 2021. He is also the 2018 National League Manager of the Year.

His legacy as an all-time great in Braves Country has already been secured. 

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