"I don't like the system, quite honestly" - Braves manager Brian Snitker blames 5-day postseason layoff for Braves' 2023 struggles

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker recently spoke about the reason for his team's disappointing end to the 2023 season. During an episode of Foul Territory, Snitker criticized the league's postseason system, specifically the five-day break given to the top seeds of both leagues.

“I don't like the system, quite honestly. We're going to have to deal with it,” Snitker said. “We better figure it out because we're going to try like hell this year to win the division and have five days off again.”

The Atlanta Braves had a fantastic regular season, winning 104 games. However, despite being the NL's top seed, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.

Snitker thinks the lack of hitting practice during the five-day break is the primary reason for their struggling postseason.

“The biggest thing we haven't done is hit,” Snitker said. “It's hard to hit velocity when you haven't seen anything in five days. That's my biggest thing. We had a team that set all these records and everything offensively, and we didn't hit much in the postseason.

“I think as an offensive player when you're not seeing the lights aren't on, the juices aren't flowing, and you're not seeing velocity like you're going to face in the playoffs, it's hard to score,” Snitker said.

Brian Snitker has plans for the Braves in 2024

The Braves have had a mixed start to their spring training campaign, finishing February with three wins, three losses and a tie.

The Braves have strengthened their bullpen this year with the goal of avoiding the same fate as last season.

“We added some velocity to our bullpen and hopefully we can keep the other guys from scoring till we get our sea legs under us. Our offense can get kicking,” Snitker said.

Their most impactful acquisitions are All-Star Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year contract.