Status report: The Braves still have not lost a series. They have 18 wins, which is the most in Major League Baseball — and one more than the Phillies and Mets.
Combined.
Happy Friday everybody!
A WELL-EARNED HONOR
Braves Country has quickly fallen in love with Walter William Weiss. He’s proved his own managerial (and mixed martial arts) mettle while the rest of the division wilts and weeps.
But Saturday at Truist Park?
That’s about tipping a collective cap to his predecessor.
🥹 Brian Snitker — Braves lifer, World Series champion — joins team’s Hall of Fame.
In case you forgot (or developed less fuzzy feelings over his last couple of seasons at the helm), Snitker joined the Braves organization 50 years ago. At the request of Hank Aaron, no less.
He worked his way up, weathered a demotion, shook off an interim tag and won six straight NL East titles en route to becoming the team’s third-winningest manager of all-time.
- Bobby Cox career wins: 2,149
- Frank Selee: 1,004
- Snitker: 811
“Once a Brave, always a Brave; and that’s true,” Snitker said while announcing his retirement last fall. “There’s nothing like it.”
The man did so much for this franchise there’s an outside chance he’d be getting inducted whether or not he ever became a big league skipper.
🥹 Expect an emotional ceremony before Saturday’s game with the Phillies.
Snitker, the Braves Hall of Fame’s 43rd inductee, will receive a jacket and a plaque. Tribute videos will play, speeches will echo through the stadium.
Former players — from Dale Murphy and Ralph Garr to Andruw and Chipper Jones — are slated to participate.
It’ll all air on BravesVision, too, starting at 6 p.m.
SO WHO COMES NEXT?
Snitker was the obvious choice to headline this year’s Braves Hall of Fame class … but who’s next?
Perhaps hometown guys Brian McCann or Jeff Francoeur make the cut. Or would the recently retired Jason Heyward get the call? Regular opening day starter Julio Teheran? Frequent flyer Jesse Chavez?
We can probably do better than that.
Oh! How about longtime stadium usher Walter Banks?
That’d be fun.
🧠 Check out the full list of current members above and send a suggestion or two to tyler.estep@ajc.com. The best answers get a shoutout in next week’s newsletter and a virtual pat on the back.
QUICK, SOME OTHER NEWS
👍 Michael Harris II was already scorching hot when we highlighted him in Wednesday morning’s Win Column newsletter (sign up here). He’s charted two home runs, five hits and five RBIs since then.
- He left Thursday’s game with “left quad tightness” but doesn’t expect to miss time.
😮 As you’re surely aware by now, Robert Suarez is filling in at closer while Raisel Iglesias recovers from some shoulder inflammation. It’s going pretty well so far.
💪 We’ve given lots of love to guys like Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon this season. But how about Jorge Mateo‘s bounce back efforts?
🙏 Unfortunate story: An 18-year-old former Braves minor leaguer faces vehicular homicide charges following a crash in Florida.
📝 If you were still hoping the Braves would sign free agent pitcher Lucas Giolito … you can stop. He inked a one-year, $2.8 million deal with San Diego this week.
🤖 Is ABS shrinking the strike zone? The Associated Press reports MLB batters are walking in nearly 10% of at-bats this year — which would be the highest rate since 1950.
HOW ABOUT JR RITCHIE, Y’ALL?
The Braves’ No. 2-overall prospect gave up a home run on his very first major league pitch (which apparently happens more than you’d think) — then proceeded to deal for seven strong innings.
The 22-year-old righty also struck out seven, with a second solo homer the only other damage allowed.
No Braves pitcher has ever matched that combination of measurables in their debut.
- Manager Walt Weiss, afterward: “Kid’s got a lot of weapons, man, for right and left-handed hitters. He can land everything. It’s fastball, cutter, change-up, slider, curveball, and he can command ‘em. And to me look like all like, plus pitches. It’s very impressive.”
As our guy Chad Bishop explains in detail, Ritchie and his fiancee had just finished baking a cake (really!) in their Lawrenceville apartment when he got the call Wednesday night. He made it to D.C. at about 2 a.m. Thursday … about 11 hours before hitting the mound.
A brief Reynaldo Lopez start on Tuesday began the chain of events that ultimately led to Ritchie’s debut Thursday. Weiss was noncommittal on plans for the immediate future.
But one way or another, we’ll see the kid again soon.
PHILLIES, TIGERS ON DECK
The Bravos swept the Phillies in Philly last weekend — and the Northerners haven’t won since. Now they’re bound for Truist Park.
📺 Game times: Friday’s series opener starts at 7:15 p.m. and airs on Apple TV. Subsequent games on Saturday (7:15 p.m.) and Sunday (1:35 p.m.) come via BravesVision.
🤔 What to know: Atlanta outscored Philadelphia 16-3 in their last series. The latter’s rotation will have a new addition this time around.
The scheduled pitching matchups, in chronological order:
- Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.42) vs. Andrew Painter (1-1, 4.42)
- Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.50) vs. Zack Wheeler (n/a)
- Chris Sale (4-1, 2.79) vs. Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.06)
Wheeler — a three-time All-star from Smyrna — will make his first start for the Phils since September, when he had surgery to address a blood clot in his right shoulder.
He’s 13-9 with a 3.92 ERA all-time against the Braves, but here’s a fun twist: DH Dominic Smith is hitting nearly .400 against Wheeler over 33 at-bats.
🎉 Other festivities: Aside from Saturday’s Snitker ceremony … Friday is “Star Wars” theme night at Truist. You gotta buy the special ticket package to get a bobblehead with a Mandalorian-armored Matt Olson (???) accompanied by Grogu, but dressing up is free.
The first 3,000 kids at Sunday’s game get a mini Michael Harris II bobblehead.
BRAVES VS. TIGERS
📺 Game times: First pitch arrives at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday and 12:15 p.m. Thursday. All on BravesVision, but Tuesday’s opener is also listed for TBS and your local Gray TV station.
🤔 What to know: Detroit’s bounced back after a bit of a rough start to hover near .500 and the top of the AL Central standings.
- Shortstop Kevin McGonigle is an early Rookie of the Year contender — and already has inked an eight-year, $150 million extension.
- Two-time reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal pitched Thursday, so the Braves will likely face him.
🎉 Other festivities: Country star Mackenzie Carpenter performs after Tuesday’s game. The first 15,000 folks through the gates Wednesday get a Chris Sale “bobblecard.”
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Flow-etry in motion.
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Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
