Walt Weiss Likes Where the Atlanta Braves Stand After Big Win Over Phillies

Walt Weiss Likes Where the Atlanta Braves Stand After Big Win Over Phillies

The Atlanta Braves took care of business on Friday night, beating the Philadelphia Phillies and improving to 13-7 on the season.

It was another step forward for a team that has played well beyond expectations through the first few weeks of the 2026 campaign, and first-year manager Walt Weiss is starting to feel it.

"We're playing good baseball right now," Weiss said after the win. "It's still early, but to be sitting where we are in the division after these first few weeks feels good. We've got a lot of work left, but nights like tonight show what this group can do when we play our game."

Those words carry weight when the Braves are sitting atop the NL East and playing with a confidence that not many people saw coming.

The Phillies, meanwhile, dropped to 8-11 and are now five games back after looking like division favorites heading into the year.

The Weiss Effect in Atlanta

When Weiss took over for Brian Snitker last November, the reaction from fans was mixed at best.

A lot of people figured he would just be more of the same since he spent eight years as Snitker's bench coach.

But what Weiss has done so far goes beyond just filling a seat.

He has shuffled his lineups with purpose, trusted younger arms in big moments, and created an energy in the clubhouse that players have noticed and responded to since Opening Day.

Chris Sale said it best early in the season when he talked about how much the team enjoys fighting for Weiss because they know he is fighting for them.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Atlanta is doing it on both sides of the ball right now.

The pitching staff owns the best ERA in baseball at 2.93, and the lineup is hitting .274 as a team.