One-sixth of all Major League teams currently have manager vacancies, as the Braves and Angels join three other teams that are looking for new managers. Brian Snitker, who led Atlanta’s last World Series champion, will leave his current role after their first sub-.500 season since 2017. The move came one day after the Angels opted not to pick up Ron Washington’s option for 2026.

Snitker done as Braves’ manager

On October 1, the Braves became the fifth team to announce a managerial change since the end of the regular season. Brian Snitker will not return as the team’s manager in 2026. He’ll stay with the organization for what will be his 50th season with the team next year in an advisory role.

Snitker became the team’s manager in 2026, taking over from Fredi Gonzalez midseason. Gonzalez was axed after a 9-28 start and despite losing seasons in 2016 and 2017, led a young Braves team in 2018 to their first division title in five years.

The 2018 campaign was the first of seven years of consecutive winning seasons for the Braves. During that stretch, the team won six NL East titles and the World Series in 2021.

Washington out as Angels’ bench boss

Snitker’s former assistant with the Braves, Ron Washington, was informed earlier in the week that he would not return as the Angels’ manager.

Washington told the New York Times – Athletic that he was informed he would not return but not due to health reasons. Rather, it was because of team performance. Washington missed over half of the 2025 season on the bench thanks to quadruple bypass heart surgery.

Ray Montgomery, per the Times, also won’t return. Montgomery ran the bench while Washington was on leave.

The Angels lost 99 games in Washington’s first season in 2024, a franchise-high. Los Angeles (AL) went 72-20 during the 2025 campaign.

This will be the fifth managerial change for the Angels since Mike Scioscia‘s final season in 2018. Since then, Brad Ausmus (2019), Joe Maddon (2020-22), Phil Nevin (2022-23), and Washington (2024-25) have all tried to get the Angels back into the postseason.

The Angels have the current longest active playoff berth drought.

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