Braves announce changes to coaching staff, including new pitching coach

The Braves are reshaping their coaching staff under new manager Walt Weiss, announcing multiple changes Wednesday.

The team replaced pitching coach Rick Kranitz with Jeremy Hefner and replaced first base coach Tom Goodwin with Antoan Richardson.

Both Hefner and Richardson previously were on the Mets’ staff. Hefner, 39, spent the past six seasons overseeing Mets pitchers. His staff earned six All-Star nods and had a collective 4.02 ERA — sixth best in the National League — over that time. Hefner also worked for the Twins as a major league advanced scout and assistant major league pitching coach (2017-19).

Richardson, 42, was the Mets’ first base coach, outfield coordinator and baserunning instructor during the past two years. The Mets led the majors in stolen base percentage (89.1%) last season. Richardson previously was in the Giants’ organization as a minor league field coordinator (2019) and major league first base coach, also overseeing baserunning and outfield instruction from 2020-23.

Richardson was in the Braves organization as a player from 2010-11. He made his MLB debut in September 2011, appearing in 11 games for the Braves. He earned his first hit off Dodgers future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw in his first major league at-bat.

The hirings of Hefner and Richardson likely will be applauded as both have sterling reputations. It also injects youth into the Braves’ coaching staff. That the Braves swiped them from a division rival only helps, too.

This ends a superb run for Kranitz, 67, who helped guide and develop Braves pitchers since the team hired him in December 2018. The Braves always have taken pride in pitching as the backbone of their organization, and Kranitz helped oversee consistently strong rotations and bullpens over the past seven seasons.

The Braves had six All-Star pitcher selections under Kranitz. While injuries battered the rotation in recent seasons, the team’s pitching often spearheaded its runs to the postseason. The Braves’ bullpen regularly was a strength, a testament to president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos’ ability to pinpoint undervalued relievers, as well as Kranitz and the team’s staff knowing how to extract the best out of them.

Goodwin, 57, was promoted to the staff in December 2023 after first base coach Eric Young departed to join Ron Washington’s staff with the Angels. He spent two years as a roving instructor in the minor leagues before joining then-Braves manager Brian Snitker’s staff.

Third base coach Fredi Gonzalez, hired to his role unconventionally in June, will not return, according to MLB.com, so the team will need to hire a replacement there as well.

Gonzalez, of course, is a former Braves manager himself (2011-16). The team brought him back in-season after baserunning gaffes became too common under Matt Tuiasosopo, who was demoted to a minor league role.

Hitting coach Tim Hyers is under contract for 2026, so at this time, it appears he’ll remain on staff. It’s worth noting the offense was much improved after the All-Star break following a dreadful first half. Anthopoulos and Weiss said they were working through staff decisions Tuesday at the latter’s introductory news conference.