On the same day the New York Mets reportedly hired the son of legendary Braves manager Brian Snitker, they also lost the coach whom Juan Soto credited with improving his base running — a move that could turn out to be a costly mistake in Atlanta’s favor.
Antoan Richardson, one of the few Mets coaches to survive the team’s embarrassing 2025 coaching overhaul, will not be returning in 2026.
According to ESPN, the Mets and first-base coach Richardson were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract, and he is expected to depart once his current deal expires. Richardson, praised for his work with Mets base runners, will now look for opportunities elsewhere.
Mets fail to keep their best coach in latest blunder
Despite all their shortcomings during the 2025 season, the New York Mets were exceptional on the basepaths. The Braves’ division rival set a new MLB record for the highest stolen base success rate, swiping 147 bases in 165 attempts—an impressive 89.1% efficiency.
Much of that success was credited to first base coach Antoan Richardson. Even though the Mets ranked as the slowest team in baseball—0.1 feet per second slower than the second-slowest team, the Braves—they still finished fifth in the majors in total stolen bases.
Speedsters like Luisangel Acuña contributed heavily, but the real surprise came from slower players. Juan Soto, for instance, stole a career-high 38 bases despite ranking in just the 13th percentile in sprint speed, while Brandon Nimmo added 13 steals despite being in the 46th percentile.
Soto was quick to praise Richardson’s influence, saying, “Antoan did an unbelievable job, he’s been helping me since Day 1. So I think I give him all the credit,” after achieving his first 30–30 season.
Given the Mets’ virtually limitless budget, failing to retain such a highly regarded coach over contract negotiations feels like a classic Mets blunder. With Richardson’s departure, one of the few bright spots from their 2025 campaign seems poised to decline in 2026—something that can only benefit Atlanta.
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