NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 7, 2026

Walt Weiss

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Dodgers - 4, Braves - 1

Q. What is the disappointment you feel right now or what do you feel right now with the season ending?

WALT WEISS: Of course, disappointed. You always are when you're not the last team standing. There's only one team that goes home happy at the end of the year.

But I've talked about how proud I am of this group all year. And that doesn't change. It's a privilege to manage this group. And the way they compete and the way they pull for one another, the things that we overcame this year, I mean, really impressive. And it's because of the guys in that room. It was a privilege to manage those guys.

Q. Is the most frustrating part about it is that for the most part the pitching that was depleted and tired did their job in this series but the offense could not get anything going?

WALT WEISS: And the Dodgers have something to do with that. They're going for their third straight world championship for a reason. Their arms just keep coming at you.

But that's the postseason. You never know what you're going to get. It's very unpredictable. But some guys, you have a lot of unsung heroes a lot of times in the postseason, and sometimes guys struggle. It's obviously magnified because you're playing under a microscope.

But I think that we struggled with runners in scoring position. So did the Dodgers. The games were really tight. I thought we gave them all they could handle. But it's a good team over there.

Q. Seemed like Mahle was going well there, 85 pitches. What was your thought process when you take him out there?

WALT WEISS: Yeah, when he got to the seventh -- he did outstanding, when he got to the seventh I was thinking hitter to hitter at that point. I felt like he was getting toward the end of the line. We had all our best relievers lined up ready to go. And that's been the strength of our club all year.

You got Fuentes sitting there. He was one of the best relievers in the game. Same with Suarez. Felt like going there at that point in the game. Didi didn't look quite the same; the ball wasn't coming out quite the same. So made a quick move there to Suarez.

And you tip your cap to Pages, man. He hit a 100-mile-an-hour heater back through the middle. But, yeah, we've been riding our relievers all year. It's been the foundation of our success. But Mahle was outstanding.

Q. A lot of players talk about how one of the things they miss most is just being around their teammates and the guys in the clubhouse. What are you going to miss most about this roster of players and coaches?

WALT WEISS: The same could be said for me. Like I said, it's a privilege to manage these guys.

The things that we overcame this year are pretty amazing. You go all the way back to the end of Spring Training and all the losses we suffered in Spring Training. I don't think anyone had us higher than third in the division. A lot of people had us fourth at that point when we had all those losses.

But a lot of guys step up. A lot of opportunities created because of injuries. A lot of guys stepped up and made an impact for us. There's several guys that maybe weren't on the radar as the season started.

But it's a good group, a really good group. Fun to be around. They care. They compete well. Like I said, I felt like we were always at our best when we were faced with our toughest challenges. I think that happened all year. That was the theme of the season for me.

Every time it looked like it was going to slip away, we took off again. And it was everybody. It was the entire roster.

Q. Your first season back at the helm. All things considered, it was a very solid season. What's a lesson you could take from this first season back at the helm after being so long a bench coach?

WALT WEISS: It was great. It was a lot of fun for me. Everything that we went through, and we basically went wire to wire to win the division. And I always say that's the toughest one to win because it takes six months. Now it's the ones in the postseason that are more special when you win those.

But winning a division is tough to do, and we basically went wire-to-wire. A lot to feel good about. You don't ever feel good about losing. Like I said, there's only one team, when the season's all said and done, that's happy. There's only one out of 30.

Q. The pain is raw because the season is just 10 minutes complete. But when you have time to take a deep breath and reflect, what are you most proud of this 2026 Braves team?

WALT WEISS: Like I said, all the things they overcame -- devastating injuries from literally the first day of Spring Training on. Lost four starters, but we also lost our left fielder, our shortstop, a catcher, and created opportunities for guys.

And that was the message when it happened, that there's going to be a lot of opportunities created, and it was up to them to step up and take advantage of it, and they did.

A lot of guys, like I said, that weren't on the radar made huge impacts. A guy like Martín Pérez, who's a non-roster invite, ends up being one of the best starters in our rotation; Dubon, obviously, ends up being one of our most consistent performers. I can go on and on. Didi coming back after getting sent out and being one of the best relievers in the game. A lot of those good stories.

A lot to feel good about. Always try to get better. I don't think there's any perfect teams. So you're always trying to get better. And I'm sure Alex and his team will do that.

Q. You had the challenge of a depleted rotation all year and then you come into postseason. How hard is it to go through seven games with two starting pitchers, really?

WALT WEISS: It was a challenge, but like I said, guys stepped up. That's why we got to this point. Even in September, we lost three more starters before the postseason started.

So it's what we went through all year. But, like I said, some guys took advantage of it and did a hell of a job.

But yeah, it's a challenge. We pulled off the bullpen game the other night in LA. Our bullpen, like I said, has been the foundation of our success. And I think that showed the other night in LA. But tough to sustain that.

Q. When you're in these turning-point-opportunity situations going into the bottom of the eighth or the bottom of the ninth, how do you gauge whether you're going to say something to the guys in the dugout to get the energy up or you're going to rely on a player? As a manager, how do you gauge what is the right thing to do in that situation?

WALT WEISS: Usually in the heat of the battle, there's not a lot to say. When I get in front of the team, it's going to be before a game, maybe after a game every once in a while.

But these guys know what's at stake. They don't need to be told. They're grown men and they're professionals, they're great competitors. I don't ever doubt where their focus is.

It's the nature of competition. Sometimes you end up losing, especially at the highest level.

I felt like we competed well against that team. It was a good team. But felt like we gave them a bit of a scare. But in the end, that's a really good team, pretty complete.

Q. What can you say about Michael Harris' performance, especially this series, not just in the postseason?

WALT WEISS: I think Michael Harris has really taken a big step this year and has turned into a star in this league on both sides of the ball and had a phenomenal season for us. It's great for a local kid here especially. There's a lot more distractions when you're playing at home like he is.

But he took a big step this year and turned into one of the better players in the league, I think.