Brian Snitker Named Sporting News 2019 NL Manager of the Year

The postseason might not have gone the way the Atlanta Braves wanted, but their success in the regular season was enough to earn Brian Snitker the honor of being the Sportings News' 2019 National League Manager of the Year.

It's the second year in a row that the grizzled skipper has taken home the award, and he most definitely earned it. Snitker guided the Braves to their second consecutive NL East crown on the back of a 97-win season, staving off the surging Washington Nationals in the standings.

He helped spearhead a team with an overwhelming amount of talent on offense. Young stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies both managed to improve on their 2018 campaigns, while veterans such as Josh Donaldson and Freddie Freeman provided a stabilizing power presence in the middle of the batting order.

What's most impressive, though, is how he managed to win 97 games with a makeshift pitching staff. Outside of rookie sensation Mike Soroka, the starting staff was less than reliable, and only one reliever with more than 30 innings pitched had a FIP below 4.00.

Despite all of those question marks regarding his pitchers, Snitker still guided the Braves to another impressive regular season. Though their playoff run came to an abrupt and sour end in Game 5 of the NLDS, it shouldn't overshadow the work he and the team put in to get there.

They've got the entire offseason to figure out what needs to change, but it seems safe to say that Snitker's doing just fine in his role as manager.