According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Brian Snitker will not return as the Braves manager in 2026. He informed the team yesterday and will instead remain with the club as a senior advisor.

Brian Snitker will not return as manager of the Atlanta Braves, sources tell ESPN. He informed the team of his decision yesterday. But he will remain with the organization in a senior advisory capacity.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 1, 2025

From the nature of Jeff Passan’s report, it appears this was Brian Snitker’s decision.

Snitker spent 49 years with the organization, and whether this news excites you or disappoints you, there’s no denying his place as one of the most influential figures in Braves history. In ten years as manager, he guided Atlanta to a World Series title, six division crowns, and seven playoff appearances.

It’s fair to want a new voice in the clubhouse after everything that has unfolded since 2021. The Braves haven’t won a playoff series since that championship run and missed the postseason entirely this year for the first time since 2017. But let’s be clear — Snitker was far from the biggest issue. Swapping managers isn’t a magic fix. The responsibility still falls on Alex Anthopoulos to build a better roster and on the players to deliver. If those two things don’t happen, nothing will change.

Back in July, I wrote about some external candidates the Braves might consider if this exact scenario came to pass.

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.

David Ross

The Braves clearly have an affinity with players that have been apart of the organization in the past, and David Ross fits that billing, spending four seasons with the club from 2009-2012. Ross was most recently the manager for the Chicago Cubs, where he won a World Series as a player, compiling a 262-284 record over four seasons from 2020-2023 and making one postseason appearance.

Mark DeRosa

Mark DeRosa grew up in the Braves farm system and spent his first seven seasons with the club. He’s yet to try his hand at managing in Major League Baseball since retiring as a player in 2013, but he has been the manager for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Given he’s currently got a pretty good gig over at MLB Network, it won’t be easy to convince him to get off the couch. However, perhaps he might be more willing to do so for a familiar organization like the Braves.

Travis d’Arnaud

This one is sort of out of left field, given d’Arnaud is under contract for next season with the Angels. I don’t imagine he will want to give up the opportunity to make $6 million. However, there’s no question d’Arnaud could consider retirement in the near future, and most expect he will soon make an excellent manager. If the opportunity presented itself, perhaps there is a world where he would consider becoming the Braves next manager instead of continuing his playing career.

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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

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