Braves land ex-Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner,…
The Braves are hoping to take benefit of the Mets’ teaching turnover.
Atlanta added some spice to the NL East rivalry by hiring fired ex-Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and esteemed first base coach Antoan Richardson, a free agent after he couldn’t agree to phrases with the Mets this offseason, the Braves announced Wednesday afternoon.
Hefner will serve as Atlanta’s pitching coach and Richardson will deal with first base duties for new supervisor Walt Weiss.
The Mets overhauled their teaching workers this offseason following their collapse that resulted in the franchise lacking the playoffs.
Jeremy Hefner during the ultimate sequence in Miami. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Hefner’s exit stood out among the adjustments, which included the hitting coaches, since the Mets had loved pitching success under his tutelage before fading down the stretch.
Atlanta’s press release famous the Amazin’s had the sixth-best ERA, allowed the fourth-fewest hits and tallied the fifth-most strikeouts in the NL during his six-year tenure.
This past yr, the Mets had the best ERA in the game early in the season before a second-half swoon left them a 4.04 mark for the season, rating 18th.
Hefner will exchange Rick Kranitz, who discovered Monday he had been dismissed, per MLB.com.
Richardson heads to Atlanta after the Mets didn’t meet his contract calls for.
While he had been invited to return for the 2026 season, Richardson and the Mets have been “far apart” in contract negotiations as of late October, The Post reported.
Antoan Richardson (r) and Juan Soto (l) in August 2025. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Atlanta then swooped in and poached a coach credited with serving to Juan Soto notch a career-high 38 stolen bases this yr after maxing at 12 in 2023 and 2019.
“The two of them are tight,” a source close to Soto told The Post’s Mike Puma.
Richardson will exchange ex-Mets coach Tom Goodwin, per MLB.com.
The Braves purpose to return to the playoffs in 2026 after their seven-year streak snapped this past season with an injury-filled 76-86 marketing campaign that noticed the pitching workers decimated.
Stay up to date with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest Sports news and content, fastidiously curated to keep you informed.
