The Atlanta Braves, with new manager Walt Weiss leading the way, are off to the best start in MLB

None of that has slowed the Braves in the early going. The offense is clicking behind hot starts from first baseman Matt Olson, reigning Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin and center fielder Michael Harris II. That has made up for underwhelming performances from stalwart third baseman Austin Riley and superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., each of whom has an OPS in the .670s.

The pitching has been a pleasant surprise. Chris Sale is up to his usual dominance, and unheralded names such as Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have also stepped up big-time. Strider threw 98 mph in a rehab outing this week and should be back soon. The bullpen has the third-lowest ERA in baseball.

In short, things are looking up in A-Town. And Weiss, who served as bench coach under former manager Brian Snitker the past eight seasons, has been a huge part of the story.

“There's definitely an edge to Walt,” Riley explained. “A lot of energy. I think we feed off that. He's been unbelievable to play for.”

Over the winter, Weiss’ hiring caused some pushback from the Braves’ fan base. Snitker, who authored a successful 10-year run as skipper that included a World Series title in 2021, announced his retirement on Oct. 1. Atlanta spent a month conducting a managerial search before landing on Weiss, Snitker’s longtime No. 2. Some saw the move as fait accompli, predetermined, more of the same with a new figurehead.

“A lot of people were clamoring for change all of a sudden,” Weiss told Yahoo Sports this week. “I said, man, you know what: Every team other than the Dodgers would be tearing a hole in the paper signing up for our last eight years.”

And importantly, Weiss is not Snitker.

“We're very different people, our leadership styles,” he said. “Our personalities are different, but we complemented each other very well.”

Understandably, Braves players were hesitant to compare and contrast the two, not wanting to come off as critical of Snitker, whom they still adore. But Weiss is thought to be more curious, comfortable and eager when it comes to implementing analytics. He’s more of a motivator type, whereas Snitker often adopted a “write-the-lineup-and-go-get-’em” style that also worked well with a veteran group. Then, of course, there’s Weiss’ physical stature and martial arts expertise.

“Walt has more of a fiery personality. He’s into UFC and fighting and stuff,” Harris told Yahoo Sports. “He’s the big bad wolf.”

Weiss, who helped oversee a nearly total refresh of the coaching staff, entered spring training with a very specific, very unique task. The continuity of Atlanta’s roster meant that most of the players were already familiar with him. But the new skipper wanted his group to see Weiss, the Manager, as an altogether different character than Weiss, the Bench Coach. He spent much of the winter ruminating on how to establish and communicate that dynamic, pondering on his opening message for spring training.

“The first day of spring training, when I had to get in front of the team, was a big day for me because it was the first time they were going to see me not as ‘Walt the Bench Coach,’” he said.

That distinction has sustained. Weiss’ Braves are playing great baseball and doing so with the intensity of their manager, who has grown a great deal since his first managerial job, a four-year stint in Colorado from 2013 to 2016.

There’s still a long season ahead, full of roadbumps, but Weiss appears well-suited to weather the storms. And at the very least, Braves players know their skipper would throw his body on the line for their safety without hesitation.