SAN DIEGO – His team had just lost to end its season. He had not had much time to process everything.
Still, Brian Snitker could say this: He intends to manage the Braves in 2025, when he will be 69 years old.
“Oh, absolutely,” Snitker said. “I wondered if I would get that question. I wish spring training started tomorrow, quite honestly. I just told the guys that. I can’t wait to get to camp and hopefully have our guys whole again. And I’m going to be excited to get there probably more than I ever have been next year, quite honestly. I said I’m exhausted but, honestly, I wish we could fast-forward and be there tomorrow. I’m serious, too. I can’t wait to get there with our guys and do this again.”
The Braves on Wednesday lost to the Padres, 5-4, in Game 2 of the National League wild-card series at Petco Park. They were swept in the best-of-three series to end their season.
Snitker’s boss, president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos, will address reporters at some point in the next few days. He’ll certainly be asked about Snitker. But Anthopoulos has always been complimentary of Snitker.
This season, Snitker led this team – one decimated by injuries to many of its best players – to 89 wins and a postseason berth. The Braves suffered a first-round exit for the third consecutive year, but they got here without Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley and others.
Snitker’s players love playing for him.
“He always sets the tone,” Matt Olson said. “Somebody who’s even-keel. No panic involved, he just rides the waves. He sets the tone for us to be able to do the same. He’s been amazing since I’ve been here. The kind of person and manager that he is, we love him at the helm.”
It’s difficult to place all the blame on Snitker. He didn’t control the injuries. He seemingly did the best with what he had. He navigated a season with a ton of injuries. His team still ended up playing in October, even if only for two games.
Snitker won NL Manager of the Year in 2018. He’s led the Braves to seven consecutive postseasons. In that stretch, his team won six straight division crowns and a World Series.
“He wants it just as bad as us,” Michael Harris II said. “We’re all pretty excited as well to play for him. He manages the right way and he lets us be us, and sits back. He doesn’t say much, but he knows we know how to win. When he needs to say something, he’ll say something. But yeah, we really enjoy playing for him.”
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