Potential Underlying Issue with the Braves Comes to Light

Potential Underlying Issue with the Braves Comes to Light

An Atlanta Braves insider recently addressed a potential issue with the team that fans have been discussing for months.

Clearly, there’s something wrong with the Braves. Their 5-13 start to the season speaks volumes about that.

The team’s offensive stats also reflect the problem. Despite improvements in individual metrics like batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS, the Braves are still ranked in the bottom five of the league in runs scored.

Part of the issue could stem from the team’s high strikeout rate, as they are ranked No. 3 in that category.

However, on Thursday’s off day, The Athletic’s David O’Brien raised a deeper psychological concern—one that insiders hadn’t really touched on, but has been a hot topic among Braves fans recently.

O’Brien pointed to the departure of former third base coach Ron Washington as a key factor.

Gonna share something I told a friend: #Braves absolutely miss Ron Washington, and have since 2024 spring. This team doesn’t have a loud, swaggering player who’s a leader and keeps it loose, yelling profanities and wisdom all the time. Wash *was* that, like no coach I’ve known.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 17, 2025

“I’m going to share something I told a friend: Braves absolutely miss Ron Washington, and have since spring 2024,” O’Brien wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This team doesn’t have a loud, swaggering leader who keeps it loose, yelling profanities and wisdom all the time. Wash was that, like no coach I’ve known.”

Washington left after the 2023 season to pursue another chance at managing in the MLB. He’s now in his second season with the Los Angeles Angels.

For the entire Brian Snitker era before 2024, Washington was the Braves’ third base coach. But his role went far beyond just sending runners home or celebrating home runs.

Washington was an emotional leader for the Braves, offering experience and helping to keep the clubhouse atmosphere light and positive.

There was no way for the Braves to keep him, though. At 72 years old, Washington couldn’t wait around for Snitker to retire and give him the chance to manage Atlanta.

Great sports organizations are like factories—they regularly lose assistant coaches and executives to other teams, but the best franchises find ways to replace them effectively.

While the Braves have brought in a new coach for third base duties, it seems they haven’t found someone to fill Washington’s emotional leadership void.

Fans have been debating the impact of Washington’s departure for nearly a year, and it’s refreshing to hear an insider acknowledge it publicly.

However, identifying the issue is just the first step in solving it. If missing Washington truly is the Braves’ main problem, and they don’t make another trade with the Angels for a manager, it’s hard to see how Atlanta addresses this issue over the summer.