“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.”
This season has been a disaster from start to finish, and that trend continued when Snitker announced that three pitchers are officially done for the year.
“Joe Jimenez was shut down from throwing last week due to renewed soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. This seemed like a major obstacle to Jimenez’s chances of returning to action before the end of the 2025 season, and Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed today to reporters (including Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that Jimenez indeed won’t be back in action this year. It also seems like injured starters Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach have thrown their last pitches of 2025, as Snitker was doubtful either right-hander would be activated from the 60-day injured list before season’s end,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Mark Polishuk reported.
With those losses — and others — piling up, pitching coach Rick Kranitz could also find himself on the hot seat.
“With that said, the Braves cannot be successful in 2026 without fixing whatever problems they have with keeping their pitchers healthy. The organizational depth clearly isn’t built to withstand the rash of injuries that has hit Atlanta’s rotation the past few seasons, and at the end of the day Kranitz may not be built for it either,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote.
The Braves’ pitching staff has been a weak point all season — and even struggled last year during the playoffs. While Kranitz is a well-liked figure within the organization, that alone won’t be enough to secure his position moving forward. The ongoing injury woes and lack of healthy arms have cast doubt on whether he is the right man to lead this group. Whether the Braves retain or replace him will be a storyline to watch heading into 2026.
