Let us count the ways that Braves manager Walt Weiss aced his debut

It’s probably too soon to declare Walt Weiss a managerial genius, but that’s only because this year’s Nobel Prize application portal hasn’t opened yet.

In his first game as Braves manager, Weiss:

Slots Ozzie Albies in the No. 3 hole, where he hit in only seven games last year.

Result: Albies homers in his first at-bat, singles in his second.

Makes the unconventional decision to start backup catcher Jonah Heim behind the plate and use No. 1 catcher Drake Baldwin as the designated hitter.

Result: Baldwin homers in the third. Heim walks twice and is behind the plate for a four-pitcher shutout.

Asked before the game about center fielder Michael Harris II, declares that “I think you’re going to see him make some strides.”

Result: In the fourth, Harris strides around the bases after jacking a two-run homer (with Heim aboard).

Face it.

The Kansas City Royals had no chance against the strategically optimized Braves, 6-0 winners on opening night at Truist Park.

Maybe we need to let Weiss have a go at solving the security-line mess at the airport.

More of Weiss’ impact on the game:

His emphasis on being aggressive on the basepaths and not being overly reliant on home runs (he called that transition “low-hanging fruit”) may well have influenced new third base coach Tommy Watkins to wave Austin Riley around third in the seventh on Mauricio Dubón’s two-out double. With a backdoor, head-first slide, Riley was safe by inches.

“We want to put heat on people, whether it’s in the box or whether it’s on the bases,” Weiss said. “We have the personnel to do that.”

A fair summation of Weiss’ debut does compel reporting that his heat application maneuvers were foiled when Albies was caught stealing in the third. But, as was once said, “a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

The American flag is brought onto the field during opening day before the Braves take on the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Atlanta. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

The quote is attributed to Albert Einstein, one of Weiss’ few intellectual equals.

Har har har.

Still, though, a lot to like, right?

Particularly at the time of his hire this past November, many cast Weiss as a clone of Brian Snitker, his former boss and the man he succeeded. But in just his first game, he showed everyone that his time at the corner of the dugout will be his own.

The Albies slotting was probably the most visible signal. Albies rarely batted third in recent seasons, mostly hitting second or fifth or lower.

But Weiss, Snitker’s top lieutenant from 2018 through last season, said before the game that he knew for several months he wanted to try Albies in the No. 3 hole against lefties.

His explanation offered a window into his thinking. Primarily, the switch-hitting Albies has devoured left-handed pitchers. Over the first nine years of his career (2017-25), he had an .890 OPS against lefties. That’s the 12th-highest in MLB over that span among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

“I want to put Ozzie in position to get as many right-handed at-bats as possible,” Weiss said.

Getting him more swings against lefties wasn’t Weiss’ sole intent. Weiss had him sandwiched between left-handed sluggers Baldwin in the No. 2 slot and Matt Olson at cleanup with the idea that, when opposing managers bring in lefty relievers to match up with Baldwin and Olson, they’ll have to deal with Albies in between them.

“They’re going to pay a price going through Ozzie with the three-batter run,” said Weiss, referring to the rule requiring relief pitchers to face at least three batters or pitch to the end of the half inning.

And there’s at least one more aspect of Weiss’ decision worth knowing. Coming off a wrist injury in 2024, Albies had a down year in ’25 from the right side, logging a pedestrian OPS of .708. Weiss sticking him in the No. 3 spot on opening day was not only strategic roster construction, but a vote of confidence.

The season wasn’t even a full inning old before Albies validated Weiss’ faith, sweeping his 32-ounce club through the strike zone to send Cole Ragans’ change-up into the left-field seats for a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve always loved Ozzie from the right side,” Weiss said. “It’ll look a little different against a right-handed starter, the lineup will, but, yeah, he made me look good (Friday), Ozzie did. Thanks, Ozzie.”

Weiss got his own thanks. He was handed the game ball as players made their way through the high-five line after the game. In the clubhouse, he was given a gift from the team and was accorded the honor given to the team’s player of the game, taking a putt the length of the room.

Weiss missed the putt.

Oh, well.