A familiar story arose on Wednesday afternoon when the Atlanta Braves finished off a series win against the division rival. Ronald Acuña Jr. stepped to the plate right after Matt Olson had blasted a pretty homer to put Atlanta firmly in front. What followed was predictable for a sad organization incapable of getting out of its own way. The Braves' star was plunked in the arm with a sinker and promptly stepped towards the mound as benches cleared.
Cooler heads prevailed, but not before manager Brian Snitker was tossed for defending his star. The issue was the umpires refusing to throw the starter out, simply issuing a warning to both dugouts. A decision that would work in the Braves' favor in what would be a 12-1 drubbing, motivated by Miami's poor decision to continue to target the Atlanta star.
For Snitker, this is a great decision that shows the fire and energy the team has lacked for much of the 2025 season. Perhaps this is a piece of why players and more importantly, Atlanta's manager were so ready to jump to Acuña's defense. It was important to send a message not only to the Marlins but to the rest of the league that this won't be tolerated.
Braves Manager Brian Snitker Sends Clear Message After Ronald Acuña Jr. Was Hit
While traditionally the plunking of Atlanta's best player would require a response, this would mean the Marlins had a star player to target. The continually sad franchise's lack of ability to find and keep star players prevented any reasonable shot at revenge. Instead, the Braves let their dominating offense do all of the talking, scoring with ease behind a nice outing from Joey Wentz.
This is what the Braves' offense was believed to be heading into the season and still could be in 2026. A dominating unit that is patient at the plate and able to leave the yard on any given at bat. There are obvious upgrades that need to happen, but the late offensive improvements are notable.
More importantly, this game answered any questions about whether Snitker is still engaged and has the back of his star player. There has been much speculation about whether or not the veteran could walk away at the end of the year. Regardless of the answer, it was a great moment for the Atlanta manager. One that was backed up by Atlanta players who have seen more than enough of Acuña being targeted by lesser organizations.