The Braves are hoping to take advantage of the Mets’ coaching turnover.
Atlanta added some spice to the NL East rivalry by hiring fired ex-Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and esteemed first base coach Antoan Richardson, a free agent after he could not agree to terms with the Mets this offseason, the Braves announced Wednesday afternoon.
Hefner will serve as Atlanta’s pitching coach and Richardson will handle first base duties for new manager Walt Weiss.
The Mets overhauled their coaching staff this offseason following their collapse that resulted in the franchise missing the playoffs.
Hefner’s exit stood out among the changes, which included the hitting coaches, since the Mets had enjoyed pitching success under his tutelage before fading down the stretch.
Atlanta’s press release noted the Amazin’s had the sixth-best ERA, allowed the fourth-fewest hits and tallied the fifth-most strikeouts in the NL during his six-year tenure.
This past year, the Mets had the best ERA in the sport early in the season before a second-half swoon left them a 4.04 mark for the season, ranking 18th.
Hefner will replace Rick Kranitz, who learned Monday he had been dismissed, per MLB.com.
Richardson heads to Atlanta after the Mets did not meet his contract demands.
While he had been invited to return for the 2026 season, Richardson and the Mets were “far apart” in contract negotiations as of late October, The Post reported.
Atlanta then swooped in and poached a coach credited with helping Juan Soto notch a career-high 38 stolen bases this year after maxing at 12 in 2023 and 2019.
“The two of them are tight,” a source close to Soto told noti.group’s Mike Puma.
Richardson will replace ex-Mets coach Tom Goodwin, per MLB.com.
The Braves aim to return to the playoffs in 2026 after their seven-year streak snapped this past season with an injury-filled 76-86 campaign that saw the pitching staff decimated.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
