By and large, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss has done a really good job in his first year as the team’s manager. Weiss has shown a willingness to try new ideas, handled the media well, and seems to command the respect of everyone in the organization. Combine that with the Braves improving significantly over last year's disaster, and Weiss' job should be safe as a result.
However, it is hard to ignore just how much regression the Braves' offense has seen the last couple of years. After posting a middling 101 wRC+ as a team last season, the Braves' offense has dipped to a 98 wRC+ in 2026 despite having a substantially better record this season.
One can (and perhaps should) point the blame at some key bats who have seen their production plummet the last couple of years, and injuries have certainly played a role there as well. However, the fact remains that there is little reason to believe that hitting coach Tim Hyers is having much of a positive impact on the lineup, and that is a real problem.
Braves' hitters are the real culprits, but that doesn't mean Tim Hyers should stick as hitting coach
Look, we are all too willing to blame managers/coaches for teams' shortcomings. That makes sense in a sport like football where coaches are the only ones drawing up and calling specific plays, but baseball IS different. Players are largely on their own once they step to the plate, and coaches mainly contribute in preparing for games, distilling guidance from the front office/analytics department, and making a limited suite of in-game decisions.
However, since Hyers was hired to replace former hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, which Braves hitter has gotten appreciably better? Yes, injuries have at least partially caused guys like Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies to regress. That said, most would think that at least ONE of those guys would bounce back if Hyers' messaging was resonating and/or actually helpful. At best, Matt Olson has been as good as he has been in the past under Hyers for stretches, but even that is pushing it. Outside of Michael Harris II (who was abysmal last year), true success stories have been hard to find on offense.
It is entirely possible that the days when hitting coaches matter as much as they used to are over, and the Braves just have to completely revamp their offensive philosophy and how to prepare their hitters. What is happening right now is obviously not working. However, what we DO know is that the Braves' offense has been extremely inconsistent since Hyers arrived. Even if Hyers is 100% right in his assessment of every Braves hitter's weaknesses and how to fix them, the message is just not getting through, nor is it making much of a difference.
The hitters should share in the blame for all of that, and some roster changes to bring in more capable bats at key positions would do the most good. However, it feels more and more like Hyers isn't the guy that will ever get the Braves' offense going again.
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