In his first moves as the new Atlanta Braves manager, Walt Weiss hired two coaches who have already had success in the National League East. Atlanta named former Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach and Antoan Richardson as first base coach, moves that also signal more turnover on a staff that already changed third base coaches this year.
For the Mets, it means two trusted voices from Queens are now in the other dugout 13 times a season.
Hefner’s reputation follows him south.
Across six seasons in New York (2020–25), Hefner became known for individualized plans, buy-in from veterans and kids, and a comfort with technology and biomechanics that helped unlock pitch mixes midseason. Multiple retrospectives highlighted rebounds under his watch, including Luis Severino’s 2024 resurgence, and the consistent support pitchers offered him.
Even with the Mets opting to make staff changes after 2025, Hefner’s standing around the league remained strong.
Hefner replaces longtime coach Rick Kranitz and inherits a staff with frontline expectations. His track record in New York included one of the franchise’s best regular seasons (2022) and stretches where run prevention carried the club despite injuries. The Braves bet that Hefner’s individualized development model translates quickly to a rotation built to contend.
Richardson, who coached first for the Giants from 2020–23 and for the Mets the last two seasons, is known for baserunning/outfield instruction and player-relations work. He replaces Tom Goodwin at first base in Atlanta after the club cycled through third-base coaches during the 2025 season. For a Braves team that publicly targeted cleaner game operations last summer, Richardson’s skill set fits the brief.
After a disappointing season, the Mets already planned a reset around manager Carlos Mendoza. Now they’ll prepare to see a familiar pitching program — just in rival colors. The scouting reports will be rich both ways: Hefner knows the Mets’ arms and tendencies; the Mets know his sequencing preferences and fix-it levers. In a tighter NL East, those edges matter on the margins of a 13-game season series.
For the Mets, it’s another reminder that the division’s adjustments won’t wait for their winter plan.
