When you switch teams within the division like Atlanta Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner did, you have to have some fun with it.
He has a long history with the New York Mets. He played for them from 2012 to 2013, and then he was their pitching coach from 2020 to 2025. While we’re sure he still has some love for the team, he’s well aware of the side he’s on.
Hefner was able to spin his high opinions of his new team into a friendly jab at old one.
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“Obviously, being with that other team up north for a number of years, both as a player and as a coach, a lot of admiration and respect for this group,” he said. The response naturally got some laughs.
As it should. It’s meant to be in good fun. There is no bad blood right now. If things get heated during the regular season, we can circle back see how he talks about it then.
While we know that by “up north,” he meant Flushing, Queens, in New York City. However, for spring training, up north is a very strong technicality. North Port and Port St. Lucie are virtually on the same latitudinal line (27th parallel). The Mets are a fraction of a degree north. You’re more likely to say it’s the other team due east during Grapefruit League play.
However, we understand that’s a little complicated and unnecessary. If Hefner doesn’t take me up on this idea, I get it. It’s only relevant for another five or six weeks anyway.
Along with his time with the Mets that allowed him to see plenty of the Braves, he had his other reasons that led him to admiring the Braves as an organization. He said he grew up watching the Braves on TBS, name dropping the Hall of Fame starting rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.
He’s originally from Oklahoma, so it’s a reflection of the large impression the Braves were able to make on multiple generations for a time.
In time, we’ll get a better picture of how he meshes with the current starting rotation. He expressed his excitement to work with them, and referred to Chris Sale as a future Hall of Famer. As someone who grew up watching three at once on the Braves, getting to coach one on the same team as to be intriguing.
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