Suzuki was the Braves catcher in the early years of Brian Snitker's tenure Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Former Braves Catcher Expected to Be Next Angels Manager

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Brooks Crew | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 3:52 PM ET

The Los Angeles Angels reportedly have another familiar face from the Atlanta Braves taking over as manager. Kurt Suzuki, who played catcher for the Braves from 2017 and 2018, is expected to be hired to take over the position from Ron Washington, ESPN reported Tuesday. The club has not yet confirmed the decision.

Washington took over the Angels for the 2024 and 2025 seasons after serving as the Braves' third base coach, but health complications forced him to retire sooner than planned.

Suzuki, despite a lack of managerial experience, has spent the past three years as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian, so he’s no stranger to front-office work, which, combined with his extensive playing experience, shapes him into a managerial prospect.

The former journeyman catcher was drafted in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft by the then-Oakland Athletics and was an impressively consistent player throughout his career. He caught 105 games for the Braves in 2018, batting .271 with 12 home runs and 24 doubles.

He’s not the only former Brave out west. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a pipeline for former Braves out on the road to Anaheim. Travis d’Arnaud, who won a World Series with the Braves in 2021, is in his final year of a two-year deal with the team.

d’Arnaud narrowly missed Suzuki’s time with the Braves, as he was signed in 2019, but there are plenty of shared Braves experiences between the two, as they both played under recently retired Braves manager Brian Snitker.

There’s familiarity in the coaching staff, too; both Eric Young, Sr., and Sal Fasano not only coached Suzuki during his time with the Braves, but were also a part of the staff that took the team all the way in 2021.

Jorge Soler, whom the Angels acquired in 2025, will also be on the roster for Suzuki. Soler, like d’Arnaud, was also a part of the Braves team that won the World Series under Snitker, so Suzuki will clearly be among friends, or at least those who’ve learned under a similar manager, in 2026.