The Atlanta Braves are enduring a disappointing season, far below the expectations they had coming into the year. Once viewed as playoff contenders, they’re now trending toward a top-five draft pick. All signs point to this being manager Brian Snitker’s final month and a half at the helm.
“Because of that consistent recent success, Snit would normally be afforded a ‘mulligan’ year—even though going from the second-best preseason World Series odds to possibly the third-best odds of winning the draft lottery is a pretty serious mulligan,” Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote. “At 69, though, he's already the oldest manager in the National League by a several-year margin and was likely to retire at the end of this season, which is the last one in his current contract.”
One potential replacement for Snitker is former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker.
“Schumaker is expected to be among the most coveted managerial candidates of the upcoming hiring cycle, and it’s not hard to see why. The 2023 NL Manager of the Year led the Miami Marlins on a surprise playoff run in his first year with the club, but after dealing with a family emergency in 2024, he announced he would not return for the 2025 season. Assuming he’s ready to get back in the trenches, he’s certainly someone the Braves should be considering,” ATL Sports Talk wrote.
Schumaker’s departure stemmed from a personal loss.
“After learning the news of his grandmother’s passing, Marlins manager and family man Skip Schumaker informed his ballclub following Friday afternoon’s batting practice that he would be away from the team for the remainder of the season,” MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola wrote.
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Schumaker is now with the Texas Rangers, but if the opportunity in Atlanta presents itself, it would be a major step up. Known as a players’ manager with a decade-long MLB career and two World Series titles, Schumaker would bring both experience and leadership to a Braves team in transition.