The Atlanta Braves pitching staff had every reason to collapse this season. Chris Sale was getting older, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep got hurt almost immediately, Spencer Strider's arm couldn't hold up, and the Braves were relying on meaningful innings from non-roster invitee and soft-tosser Martin Perez. On paper, that starting staff should not have worked, and that is not even looking at the bullpen, but somehow new pitching coach Jeremy Hefner got the job done.
Pretty much everyone was shocked that the Mets let Hefner go after the 2025 season, as he was extremely highly regarded around the league for his work with New York's pitchers. About a month later, the Braves scooped Hefner up and made him their pitching coach.
Most thought hiring Hefner would be a big positive for the Braves. Rick Kranitz wasn't a bad pitching coach, but Hefner seemed to have a more complete skill set for the job, including familiarity with analytics, as well as the ability to translate data observations into actionable coaching and adjustments. However, few probably thought that hiring Hefner would be the move that saved Atlanta's season in 2026.
It is hard to envision the Braves winning the NL East this year without Jeremy Hefner
The Braves' path to the NL East title wasn't complicated by an imperfect pitching staff. They also often had no margin for error, as Atlanta's offense has been inconsistent at best this season. With multiple injuries in the rotation and bullpen and an offense that wasn't bailing anyone out with any regularity, this motley crew shouldn't have worked.
Most of the credit should go to the players themselves, but Hefner's impact seems very tangible. Sale's talent is what has him as a Cy Young candidate, but Hefner is one of the main voices that has been game-planning as well as making sure Sale is in peak form before each start. The same is true of Perez. If you think Grant Holmes adjusts as well as he did, or Tyler Mahle's transition after the trade deadline goes as smoothly without Hefner, you are kidding yourself.
The days when managers and coaches have outsized impacts on a team in games (Leo Mazzone is one example here) are over. So much of the moment-to-moment game strategy has already been solved by analytics, and most, if not all, teams at least try to utilize those discoveries in games. Where managers and coaches earn their paychecks these days is by managing clubhouses and executing the organization's game plan by translating what the front office wants to happen into advice and coaching that makes it happen.
Amongst non-managers in MLB, there may not be a better example of a modern coach than Hefner. The Braves got lucky when the Mets fumbled the ball with him, and, given where each organization is right now, Atlanta made the correct choice.
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