An argument could be made that the Braves’ most significant offseason addition through the first month isn’t even a player, but first base coach Antoan Richardson.
Richardson was heralded for his work with the New York Mets, helping turn them into the best baserunning team in baseball. They were successful on 89.1% of their stolen base attempts — the best mark in the league and more than seven points higher than the next closest team. Specifically, Richardson helped turn Juan Soto into Rickey Henderson. Soto stole 38 bags in his first season with the Mets, 26 more than his previous career high of 12.
And the relationship between Richardson and Soto goes much deeper than the box score.
“We’re friends for life,” Richardson told Jon Heyman of The New York Post. “Our relationship goes beyond the baseball field. That’s what made it tough to leave.”
Heyman also reports that Soto is very disappointed about Richardson’s departure, and the decision apparently didn’t come down to money. The Mets were willing to double his salary to more than $300,000, but he still chose to join their division rivals down south.
Everything that’s come out since Richardson agreed to become the first base coach in Atlanta should have Braves fans ecstatic. Not only is he going to help turn one of the Braves’ biggest flaws this past season — baserunning — into a strength, but his departure also directly hurts one of their biggest rivals, both on the field and in the clubhouse.
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Photo: Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sports