Braves manager Walt Weiss endorses Tim Hyers: ‘Outstanding as a hitting coach’
ORLANDO, Fla. — New Braves manager Walt Weiss is overseeing a largely reshaped coaching staff, but one of the returning figures also was among the most scrutinized during the Braves’ disappointing 76-win 2025 campaign.
The Braves retained hitting coach Tim Hyers, who was under contract, on Weiss’ staff. The Braves dismissed longtime hitting coach Kevin Seitzer after the 2024 season, seeking a new perspective for their players after their offense underperformed. They turned to Hyers, who had an impressive track record and immediately drew positive reviews from players during spring training.
But the results weren’t there early. The Braves’ offense was dreadful in the first half, a significant reason the team faded quickly from realistic postseason contention for the first time since 2017. They managed only 388 runs in 95 games (24th in MLB). They were oft criticized for their less aggressive approach. There was regression from several key players, namely outfielder Michael Harris II. It didn’t help that last offseason’s marquee addition, Jurickson Profar, was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.
Yet the Braves of old reemerged in the second half. There was a lengthy stretch when Harris looked like the game’s best player. Profar was an extremely valuable leadoff man not long after returning. The Braves scored 336 runs after the All-Star break (67 games), fifth in MLB, and achieved a 34-33 record.
The Braves, through their own examination and player input, obviously determined Hyers was worth retaining, especially given the drastically improved results. Weiss delivered an impassioned endorsement of Hyers at the winter meetings Tuesday.
“Tim Hyers is one of the best hitting coaches I’ve ever been around,” Weiss said. “I know that there was a (fan) narrative out there, and I get it. We were terrible in the first half offensively. Fairly or unfairly, the hitting coach takes that heat. But I’m here to tell you: Tim Hyers is outstanding as a hitting coach. His demeanor is tremendous. He has a calm demeanor. The information, the delivering of the information, is outstanding. I want to put that to rest. I know that’s part of being a fan, I get it, it’s what we sign up for, but he’s really good. I have all the confidence in the world in him.”
Hyers will work with nearly the same lineup he had in 2025. The Braves will have a new shortstop — Mauricio Dubon, a defensive wiz, is the front-runner unless the team acquires an alternative — and they likely won’t re-sign designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Beyond Ozuna’s declining production, the team likes the idea of rotating the DH spot and utilizing it to fit both catchers — Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy — into the lineup.
Perhaps an opportunity emerges for the Braves to acquire a significant offensive talent and that alters the approach, but the way the team has talked, that appears less likely. Weiss and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos have harped on pitching. The Braves have prioritized addressing their staff, adding a starter and multiple relievers. That’s been at the forefront of their free-agent discussions.
So Hyers will have the chance to continue building upon the foundation he set with the Braves’ core group. The team is banking its season on its in-house players performing up to their track records. It’s on Hyers to extract that from them.
“I don’t have all the answers for what happened in the first half last year, I don’t,” Weiss said. “I think maybe it’s just the nature of the game and the ebbs and flows to this game and how difficult it is to hit at the major league level in this day and age. But we have a lot of guys with track records who’ve done it before. I believe they’ll do it again. They’re not old, they’re not past their prime. I expect our offense to be really good.”
The Braves begin the regular season March 26 against the Royals at Truist Park.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
