3 Reasons why Brian Snitker should manage the Braves in 2018

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Brian Snitker‘s contract with the Atlanta Braves is coming to a close this season. Here are 3 reasons he needs to stay as their manager in 2018.

The Atlanta Braves are about to finish another year without making the postseason. For many twenty-somethings like myself, it’s still extremely hard to get used to the fact that our beloved Atlanta baseball team will not be on TV in late-October. That said, I don’t believe the blame should fall on manager Brian Snitker.

I’ve seen some articles written by some pretty big media outlets lately, arguing that Snitker shouldn’t be brought back when his one-year contract is over at the end of 2017. I understand that frustration mounts over time, but can we really say that Snitker is a bad manager when he hasn’t been given enough talent to compete?

You can disagree with me if you’d like, but a rotation of Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia and RA Dickey was never meant to succeed. Heck, even Atlanta’s front-office knew that going into this season.

That being said, why not give Snitker another year to try and prove he can take this up-and-coming Braves baseball team to the postseason? This guy has been dedicated ever since he took over the managerial position and has been with the team for over a decade.

If there’s anyone who would know this team more than him, I would gladly accept them. Until then, it’s not smart to bring in a new face.

Needless to say, here are three reasons why Brian Snitker needs to be the Braves’ manager in 2018.

3. He’s Done A Great Job With The Braves’ Young Talent

I understand if certain Atlanta baseball fans disagree with me on this point, but I believe Snitker has actually proven he can handle the Braves’ up-and-comung superstars – baggage and all. As we all know, no baseball player becomes the player they were drafted-to-be overnight. Every single player goes through their fair-share of highs and lows, which means the team’s manager must know how to keep them level-headed and pressing forward at all times.

The one moment I will always give credit to the veteran manager for, was his confidence in Dansby Swanson throughout the rookie’s struggles in 2017. Throughout the first few months of the season, Swanson was getting torn apart by fans and media, claiming that he wasn’t ready to make it at the big-league level.

While there was definitely some validity to those concerns, Snitker never wavered, choosing what was ultimately best for the former Vanderbilt Commodores superstar. Yes, the team sent Swanson back down to Gwinnett for a few weeks, but we have to give credit to Snitker for backing his young shortstop either way.

Heck, that example is just one of many that Snitker has dealt with over the course of this season.

Whether it’s been young pitchers struggling to find the strike-zone or young hitters trying to do too much at the plate, Snitker has managed them with poise and integrity.

Needless to say, why bring in a new face when he has already earned the unwavering respect from Atlanta’s future.

(Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

2. We Haven’t Seen What He Can Do With A Complete Roster Yet

Okay, let’s all be honest here – do you really believe that Brian Snitker has been given sufficient enough talent to win at the MLB level? I don’t know about you, but my answer would be a resounding no.

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Yes, the Braves are finally chasing in on their big-time trades from a few years ago, but none of those guys are ready to play at an elite-level yet. Sure, they have some flashes of greatness every now and again, but those guys aren’t experiences enough yet to lead this entire Braves roster to a postseason berth.

Again, not slanting any of Atlanta’s rookies, they just need more time.

On the other side of the equation, no one can convince me that Snitker’s pitching staff was set-up for success in the 2017 season. Yes – Bartolo Colon, RA Dickey and Jaime Garcia have all had respectable careers, but that’s not a rotation that is going to win you very many ball-games.

The best-case scenario for having those guys on the team was for them to eat up innings throughout the year. Unfortunately for the Braves, they gave up a ton of runs in the process.

Again, let’s wait to pass judgment on Brian Snitker as a manager until he finally has a roster talented enough to, at least, make it into the postseason via the Wild Card spots.

1. The Players Are Lobbying For Him To Stay

If fans of Atlanta sports have learned anything over the last three seasons, players will do everything they can for a coach they love. For example, just look at how much the Braves’ city-sibling Falcons have improved since Dan Quinn came over from Seattle. Sure, the game of baseball is much different from football, but in both cases, players need to trust the man who’s leading the ship.

More from Call to the Pen

If you want to know the main reason why Brian Snitker should be the manager of the Braves in 2018, just take a look below.

Here is Freddie Freeman‘s quote in Jeff Shultz’s article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“I went to them a couple of weeks ago and expressed to them that we love Brian in here,” Freeman said Friday night. “That’s all I can do is tell them how I feel about a guy who’s put in all the time and done everything possible to help us win. He deserved the managerial job when he got and we all hope that he’s back.”

If Atlanta has their franchise-player taking time out of his busy schedule to advocate for Brian Snitker, the Braves’ front-office needs to take notice, especially knowing that it was Freeman who did the selling.

This is a guy who has given this organization everything he has to offer ever since getting called up to the big-leagues. Not to mention, never complained when they traded some huge pieces from the competitive Braves teams of Freeman’s early career.

Next: Potential trade destinations for Matt Adams

If Freddie Freeman want Brian Snitker back in 2018, then make it happen Atlanta.

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