Some Personal Thoughts On Brian Snitker

GovClintonTyree said:
I think Snit may be retarded like everybody else, but my deepest disappointment is with our GM. He had a lot of work to do this offseason and he didn't do it. The one guy he did bring in is an outfielder with very poor defensive metrics who's gonna slug about .380 without hCg on board. And Alex should have known he could be dirty given the company he keeps.
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My biggest critique of Anthopoulos over the past two off-seasons (especially the 2023-24 off-season) is that if you are trying to avoid the next luxury tax threshold, you shouldn't be paying guys significant amounts of money to play for other teams (or in the case of Evan White and Max Stassi, pretty much not play at all). This isn't about Kelenic as a player, it's about the machinations the team went through to acquire him. Add to that the dawdling this off-season when there were some things that needed to be addressed it adds up to disappointment.

I don't want to go into how the extensions have factored into the budget tightness vis-a-vis the luxury tax threshold, but if you're not the Yankees or the Dodgers, you just have to be more careful than I think Anthopoulos has been.
 
Super said:
This is just silly. There’s plenty of talent on the team to make a playoff run.
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Really…how much would you be willing to bet that this group makes it past the first round?

As I said, this is still a talented roster. But not the kind where you push all your chips in the middle to make a run at the title. There‘s too many teams that are better.
So ride out this season, make sure to control the workload of Acuna/Strider/Sale, give the roster a makeover in the offseason, find a real manager, and make a run at another title.
 
Strike3urout said:
Really…how much would you be willing to bet that this group makes it past the first round?

As I said, this is still a talented roster. But not the kind where you push all your chips in the middle to make a run at the title. There‘s too many teams that are better.
So ride out this season, make sure to control the workload of Acuna/Strider/Sale, give the roster a makeover in the offseason, find a real manager, and make a run at another title.
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Some of the most talented Braves teams in franchise history have failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. That isn’t an indicator of anything.
 
Hudson2 said:
Huh?? The talent is definitely there. It's still a top 5 roster in baseball.
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Who? Who makes this a top 5 roster? Do you see all the fringe players we run out there every night? I‘m glad Eli White, Nick Allen and Alex Verdugo are finding ways to contribute, but these are not major league regulars. Just as Holmes and Elder are not major league caliber starters.

Exactly who are the superstars to offset these barely replacement-level players and make this a top 5 roster??
 
CyYoung31 said:
Some of the most talented Braves teams in franchise history have failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. That isn’t an indicator of anything.
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Certainly true. But that doesn’t mean their chances improve with less talent. I can‘t imagine how this team breaks the trend of recent years.

Still, I feel like I‘m seeing some positive signs in the offensive approach (at least by players not named Albies or Harris), which bodes well for the future. I hope that’s not just anecdotal, and there‘s data to back that up.
 
Strike3urout said:
Certainly true. But that doesn’t mean their chances improve with less talent. I can‘t imagine how this team breaks the trend of recent years.

Still, I feel like I‘m seeing some positive signs in the offensive approach (at least by players not named Albies or Harris), which bodes well for the future. I hope that’s not just anecdotal, and there‘s data to back that up.
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The 2021 team was arguably the least talented of this current run, and it won the World Series. The 2020 team had two starters and was within a game of making it to the World Series. This team, when healthy, is more talented than any team during this run outside of 2022 and 2023. And outside of the Dodgers, you’d be hard pressed to find a team that’s head and shoulders more talented on paper in MLB this year.
 
Strike3urout said:
Who? Who makes this a top 5 roster? Do you see all the fringe players we run out there every night? I‘m glad Eli White, Nick Allen and Alex Verdugo are finding ways to contribute, but these are not major league regulars. Just as Holmes and Elder are not major league caliber starters.

Exactly who are the superstars to offset these barely replacement-level players and make this a top 5 roster??
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Strider and Acuna are both top 5 talents in the game.
 
I do not think firing coaches generally makes things better.

Managers seem the least consequential of all. To the extent they do matter, Snitker's teams have tended to perform well.

I think a bigger impact would be made by getting Strider and Acuna back and for Sale to stop scuffling.
 
CyYoung31 said:
The 2021 team was arguably the least talented of this current run, and it won the World Series. The 2020 team had two starters and was within a game of making it to the World Series. This team, when healthy, is more talented than any team during this run outside of 2022 and 2023. And outside of the Dodgers, you’d be hard pressed to find a team that’s head and shoulders more talented on paper in MLB this year.
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Yes yes…the playoffs are a crapshoot. Still doesn’t mean it pays to be less talented. The 2021 playoffs were a magical run that I hope to experience again sometime. But I wouldn’t bet on it. It was awesome and improbable.

I‘m still curious where this top 5 talent is hiding. Especially when you add in the continued decline from Olson, Albies and Harris, which gets harder by the day to call just an extended slump. Maybe if Acuna and Strider return to form early I‘d be more open to the notion.
 
Strike3urout said:
Yes yes…the playoffs are a crapshoot. Still doesn’t mean it pays to be less talented. The 2021 playoffs were a magical run that I hope to experience again sometime. But I wouldn’t bet on it. It was awesome and improbable.

I‘m still curious where this top 5 talent is hiding. Especially when you add in the continued decline from Olson, Albies and Harris, which gets harder by the day to call just an extended slump. Maybe if Acuna and Strider return to form early I‘d be more open to the notion.
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No one said it pays to be less talented. You’re the one pointing to postseason success as if that’s indicative of an uber-talented team.

The Braves had the 2nd best odds to win the World Series entering the season. You think Vegas just pulled that out of their ass? And go look at Olson’s statcast numbers and tell me he has declined.
 
CyYoung31 said:
No one said it pays to be less talented. You’re the one pointing to postseason success as if that’s indicative of an uber-talented team.

The Braves had the 2nd best odds to win the World Series entering the season. You think Vegas just pulled that out of their ass? And go look at Olson’s statcast numbers and tell me he has declined.
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More talent generally beats less talent. It‘s just not 90/10, so of course you can find plenty of examples of improbable success.

I never said that this isn‘t a good team, or that they can‘t make the playoffs, or that there isn‘t a non-zero chance they win the world series. I‘m just saying that this team isn‘t the kind of hand you go all in with, and try to make that happen. So as much as I dislike Snit, I‘d rather see the next manager be the product of a rigorous selection process instead of a knee-jerk reaction. I want AA‘s attention to be on 2026, which was sort of my original point in this thread.

I‘ll check out Olson‘s statcast tomorrow. From what I‘ve seen, he‘s looked terrible, unable to lift the ball, and unable to catch up to heat. But I haven‘t been able to watch that many games.
 
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We miss Ron Washington and Eric Young. Leading a team isn't just about the manager, it's the whole staff. With Wash and Young the coaching staff was exceptional.

I don't put all the blame on Snit. AA is Snit's boss. He could require Snit to make in game choices based on advanced stats. Maybe we are making decisions based on advanced stats but the stats aren't very good. I don't know what the issue is but it's more than just Snit. The buck doesn't stop with him.
 
Strike3urout said:
Who? Who makes this a top 5 roster? Do you see all the fringe players we run out there every night? I‘m glad Eli White, Nick Allen and Alex Verdugo are finding ways to contribute, but these are not major league regulars. Just as Holmes and Elder are not major league caliber starters.

Exactly who are the superstars to offset these barely replacement-level players and make this a top 5 roster??
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What rotation can beat a top 3 of Sale, Strider, and Schwellenbach? We have the best catching tandem in baseball and we won the WS in 21 with weaker guys at several positions. Yes this is a team you push chips in for at the deadline. Have you not seen our record over the past 20 games?? If we would have started the season 7-0 instead of 0-7 you'd be silent right now.
 
Strike3urout said:
More talent generally beats less talent. It‘s just not 90/10, so of course you can find plenty of examples of improbable success.

I never said that this isn‘t a good team, or that they can‘t make the playoffs, or that there isn‘t a non-zero chance they win the world series. I‘m just saying that this team isn‘t the kind of hand you go all in with, and try to make that happen. So as much as I dislike Snit, I‘d rather see the next manager be the product of a rigorous selection process instead of a knee-jerk reaction. I want AA‘s attention to be on 2026, which was sort of my original point in this thread.

I‘ll check out Olson‘s statcast tomorrow. From what I‘ve seen, he‘s looked terrible, unable to lift the ball, and unable to catch up to heat. But I haven‘t been able to watch that many games.
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If you have a team that is good enough to make the playoffs why wouldn't you push chips in? Isn't that the point? Bc once the playoffs start anything can happen.
 
I get what urOut is saying though.. the Braves are dealing with Strider struggling to get back, 3 replacement level players playing everyday (even if they are playing well right now {White}).. plus you have Harris and Ozzie struggling to figure things out.. all that is a lot to over come against quality teams.. handicapped Acuna coming back is not going to be enough either.

Now, I also agree with most others as well.. Ozzie and Harris can most definitely figure it out and be themselves.. Strider can get healthy and be elite with Sale and SS.. White/Verdugo platoon can most certainly be above replacement level... Allen just needs to be good on D..deal with the pitcher level hitting... But that is a lot of ifs and hopes to go along with an idiot manager who constantly handicaps the team with horrible decisions.

So I remain on the fence with this team and will casually watch hoping those 'ifs and hopes' pan out.. but it is so hard to get seriously excited about this organization that continues to employ and run unrestricted the dumbest person in the state of GA.
 
Hudson2 said:
What rotation can beat a top 3 of Sale, Strider, and Schwellenbach? We have the best catching tandem in baseball and we won the WS in 21 with weaker guys at several positions. Yes this is a team you push chips in for at the deadline. Have you not seen our record over the past 20 games?? If we would have started the season 7-0 instead of 0-7 you'd be silent right now.
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Yeah, but…they did start 0-7. Against the teams they will likely face in the playoffs. You can‘t just throw out all the negative stuff, and then wonder why someone is skeptical.

If they all perform at the peak of their abilities, sure, that rotation is tough to beat. But is it a big stretch to imagine Sale getting hurt (like, you know, last postseason), Strider regressing a bit after elbow surgery and hamstring problems, and Schwellenbach fatiguing at the end of his first full MLB season? You seem to presume that all players hit their high-end outcome. That‘s just not going to happen. Actually, I believe the downside risks (Sale/SS getting injured, Acuna being solid but unspectacular, Albies‘ and Harris‘ hitting skills deteriorating further etc.) outnumber the potential surprises (Olson returning to 23 form, Baldwin winning ROY, Strider returning to CY form etc). You need to judge a roster on realistic expectations, not potential upside.

If this team had unlimited resources, I‘d be all in favor of renting 3 good players at the deadline for the playoff run, then get 4 new impact players in the offseason for the long term. But in the real world with limited resources, you have to ask what is the most prudent way to allocate them. Burning much of your dry powder on a good but flawed team in the hopes of pushing them past the Mets, Padres, Phillies, Cubs, Giants and Dodgers just doesn‘t seem prudent to me.
 
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