With a new face in the fold, the Braves may look to be a bit more speedy on the basepaths.
The Atlanta Braves finished 26th in stolen bases last season with just 82 on the year, and that number played a role in their disappointing 76-86 finish that left them fourth in the NL East.
But heading into 2026, the front office made one of the most underrated moves of the offseason when they hired Antoan Richardson away from the New York Mets to serve as their new first base and baserunning coach.
Richardson is widely credited with turning Juan Soto into one of the most efficient base stealers in baseball last season, helping him rack up 38 stolen bases despite ranking in just the 13th percentile in sprint speed.
That is a massive jump for a guy whose previous career high was only 12.
Now Richardson is in Atlanta, and his new teammates are already buying into what he brings.
Baldwin Sees the Difference Already
Before the Braves' 7-6 spring training win over the Yankees on Friday at CoolToday Park, catcher Drake Baldwin shared his excitement about the new addition to the coaching staff.
"Antoan was the mastermind behind [Soto's 38 steals]," Baldwin said via MLB.com. "Now that we've got him on our staff, we can see how much passion he brings. I can see more than 15. I saw [Riley] steal a base the other day, and he made it look easy."
Baldwin would know better than most how tough Richardson's baserunners are to deal with, since he struggled to throw out runners as a rookie catcher in 2025.
He saw up close how the Mets always seemed to be one step ahead on the basepaths last season.
"I always felt like they were one step ahead," Baldwin said. "We'd try to throw somebody out, and it was like, 'Geez, they're already halfway there.' So it's good to have him on our team."
Why Speed Matters for Atlanta in 2026
The Braves are off to a strong 13-5-2 start in spring training, and the energy around CoolToday Park feels different under new manager Walt Weiss.
A big part of that new identity involves being more aggressive on the bases.
Richardson's ability to study pitcher tendencies and find the right moments to send runners could unlock stolen base potential from guys like Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies, who all have the speed to run more than they did last year.
Riley posted a 28.2 feet-per-second sprint speed in 2025, which is actually faster than Soto's 25.8.
If Richardson can get 15-plus steals out of Riley while also helping Harris build on his 20-steal season and getting Albies back to 20-plus for the first time since 2021, Atlanta's offense becomes a lot harder to defend.
Add in a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. and this lineup could look completely different on the basepaths compared to last year.
Looking Ahead
The Braves still have plenty of questions to answer before Opening Day on March 27, but Richardson's presence gives them a weapon they did not have last season.
His track record with the Mets speaks for itself, and the early returns from spring training suggest the players are all in.