Who is to blame for Braves collapse?

The July 4th festivities have concluded, and it feels as if the Braves season has as well, at least as far as hope is concerned.

The Braves just wrapped up a pivotal home stand with a 2-7 record, losing their last four games to the Angels and Orioles, two of the worst teams in the American League. They are now a full nine games out of a playoff spot, and even more concerning, there are eight teams in front of them in the NL wild card race, including the lowly Marlins. The Braves are closer to the worst team in baseball than they are a legit contender, a shocking development that has the entire fan base pointing fingers.

For things to have unraveled this quickly, it’s impossible to pin the blame on just one person. From ownership to the front office to the players, virtually everyone in the organization has fallen short, and the responsibility must be shared across the board.

Brian Snitker and the Braves coaching staff

This feels like the end of Brian Snitker’s tenure in Atlanta. Firing him in-season is unlikely, given everything he’s done for the organization, but most expect him to step down at season’s end.

Snitker has certainly had some head-scratching decisions, but at a certain point, there’s not a lot he can do when every aspect of the club is underperforming. Several needs were left unaddressed this offseason, and the players the Braves decided to sign to long-term deals have considerably underperformed. No amount of rah-rah speeches are going to save a team that’s 24th in runs scored and without their top four starting pitchers from Opening Day.

If there’s one coach who deserves more scrutiny, it’s hitting coach Tim Hyers. The Braves parted ways with Kevin Seitzer this past offseason in favor of Hyers — a decision that’s quickly looking like a colossal misstep. While Seitzer has helped turn around the Mariners offense, Hyers is presiding over a lineup filled with players enduring career-worst seasons.

Braves Ownership

A lot of people are furious at ownership for the team’s lack of spending this offseason. The Braves made several cost-cutting moves, and yet, didn’t re-allocate those dollars to better the roster elsewhere. In total, payroll fell by nearly $30 million in 2025 compared to 2024, with many speculating whether the Braves were attempting to reset the luxury tax.

Alex Anthopoulos and other MLB insiders have suggested the lack of spending did not stem from a mandate by ownership, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The fact that payroll fell by such a significant amount is a red flag that somebody has to answer for.

The Players

The players, specifically most of the lineup, have been the biggest issue plaguing the Braves in 2025. Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies went from All-Star caliber pieces to two of the worst offensive regulars in the league. Austin Riley hasn’t come close to living up to the billing of the highest-paid player in franchise history, and Jurickson Profar undoubtedly deserves to be scolded for missing 80 games after being busted for PEDs. Those four were supposed to be the meat of the Braves lineup, and they’ve totaled a combined 1.4 fWAR through 89 games. Nobody could have expected they would underperform that drastically.

Alex Anthopoulos

Giants GM Buster Posey said it best recently, nobody should shoulder more blame when a team struggles than the general manager.