The first Atlanta Braves staff for new manager Walt Weiss is taking shape, with the team announcing a pair of additions to the dugout Wednesday.
Both of them come from the New York Mets, one of Atlanta’s longtime rivals in the National League East Division.
The new faces are pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first base coach Antoan Richardson.
Hefner, 39, was fired by the Mets last month after six seasons on the job, with his departure following the team failing to reach the playoffs this fall. New York’s pitching staff had six MLB All-Star selections and the sixth-best ERA (4.02) in the NL during that span. He previously worked in the Minnesota Twins organization for three years.
Richardson, 42, was first base coach, outfield coordinator and baserunning instructor for the Mets the past two seasons. He helped them lead the majors in stolen base percentage (89.1%). He previously spent five years in the San Francisco Giants’ system.
AP file photo by Erin Hooley / Antoan Richardson, the first base coach for the New York Mets the past six seasons, has been hired by the Atlanta Braves to take on the same role on the staff of new manager Walt Weiss.
Hefner replaces Rick Kranitz, 67, who had been Atlanta’s pitching coach since 2019. Richardson steps into the first base box for Tom Goodwin, 57, who spent two seasons in that role.
The Braves announced Monday that Weiss, 61, would be their manager, promoting the former shortstop who had been their bench coach since 2018. He replaced Brian Snitker, who announced his retirement on Oct. 1, three days after the regular season ended with the Braves missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Snitker’s decade-long run as Atlanta’s skipper included six straight NL East titles from 2018-23 and a wild-card playoff berth in 2024, with the highlight the Braves winning the 2021 World Series for the franchise’s first MLB championship since 1995.
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