Memorial Day is here and it marks the end of the first third of the major league baseball season. The Atlanta Braves 2009 team is an interesting case study to look at.
The offense seems to disappear for long stretches, only to return in big ways for one game. Brian McCann seems to have made it back from the blurry vision that plagued his early season. McCann should easily make his fourth all-star team and could put up monster numbers with the new specs, if yesterday's two dongs were any indication. As far as backup catcher, David Ross showed some nice pop in spring training and thus far this season. He also handles the staff his one start a week.
At first base, Casey Kotchman is making me slowly eat my words for calling him Krotchman. He is beginning to show that doubles stroke that he displayed in LAA. If he can just give me a .290 average with two doubles per week, I'll be happy.
The second base position took a shot when Omar Infante suffered a broken hand, but if Kelly Johnson can keep the Dr. Jekyll and hide the Mr. Hyde then maybe it will be alright. Johnson MUST be more consistent at the plate. He HAS to be. It actually frustrates me that with his swing he can't be more of a regular threat out there. COME ON KELLY!
Yunel Escobar is again showing flashes of being the young Alex Rodriguez from Seattle that I have been calling for. He can go opposite field but he doesn't yet display the power that I thought he would. Come on Yunel, I need 18-21 home runs from you. i KNOW you can do it. As far as his defense, what an arm, huh?
Over at third, Martin Prado and Chipper Jones are doing well, but I'd really like it if Chipper Jones stayed a bit healthier. He can still crush and rake, but he has a big toe issue, after a thumb injury, after a hamstring...it just keeps going. Prado has also shown more power and more muscle over the past season, so that's good. But I'd rather have a healthy Chippah!
In the outfield, Garrett Anderson is doing fine on offense when he plays, but he is a liability on defense. I've watched him let several balls fall in front of him which ended up going for hustle doubles. How about YOU SHOW some hustle. In center, Jordan Schafer shows potential, but if Josh Anderson were out there and Schafer was in Gwinnett, I'd feel better about when Jordan came up in July and started next season. But we can also say that he's working out the kinks. In rightfield, Frenchy... This is his last stand. Like Custer in a way. I wonder how much longer we'll have this outfield. With Gorkys Hernandez and Jason Heyward nearly ready to go (2010 or 2011 at the latest), we could have a new and improved outfield before we know it. I wonder how far Frenchy's value has fallen. I wanted Zack Greinke two years ago (would have been a good move), then I wanted Homer Bailey (would have been a bad move), now...not certain you could get Gary Majewski for him.
The rebuilt pitching staff seems to be rolling along, let's just hope that Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and Jair Jurrjens can keep up their strong starts. As far as a fourth starter, Kenshin Kawakami looked zonetastic against Toronto last Friday, but can he keep up? Lowe has looked every bit the ace he was signed to be. Vazquez is on pace for yet another 200+ IP, 200+ K season and he might be able to be flipped for some prospects after this season when Tim Hudson is ready to go. Vazquez cost the organization 6 minor leagues, but maybe he could bring 3 back. He would help replenish what Atlanta lost with the Tex deal. Next season you'd have Lowe, Hudson, Jurrjens, Hanson and Kawakami. Medlin would fall into the bullpen. That is exciting to think about. As for 2009, Glavine will probably give Atlanta 12 starts and then Hanson will give Atlanta maybe 8 starts before pulling a David Price and moving to the pen for the stretch wild card run.
Speaking of the bullpen, Gonzo is REALLY starting to scare me. He doesn't seem to have the Smoltz/Rocker-99 edition/Wholers-95 edition killer instinct in him. He seems to always be allowing a leadoff double to put extra pressure on him and give me as a fan a heart attack before he closes the door. Rafael Soriano is also out there, but I'd rather have him for the 8th inning and not an emergency closer. Moylan isn't as good as I remember, but maybe I just thought he was better because I was using his injury as an excuse of why the pen was terrible last season. No, that was Manny Acosta and Blaine Boyer's fault. This pen is a bit better than last season, but it isn't the strength I though it would be and that Frank Wren said it would be. Oh well. If the starters keep giving them leads, they'll save more than they screw up. That is just the truth.
So....Bottom line, the pitching needs to stay strong and the offense needs to show up more than just once a week. I would ask Frank Wren to make a deal for a bat, but I'm not certain he has the bullets to pull off a deal. Maybe if he trades off Vazquez as part of a three-way deal he can net a bat, but that would cut out a pitcher that has helped Atlanta do as well as they have thus far this season. Unless you KNOW Hanson is ready to step in as a No.3 starter (which at THIS POINT, we don't know) I would say hold on to Vazquez through the end of the season, then get what you can next year. The 2010 season is really what Atlanta fans need to look to, but a Wild Card race isn't out of the question for this season. And a division crown with the Struggling Mets and the pitching poor Phillies could be within reach.
With Bobby Cox on the bench, he could be a wild card that keeps this team in the wild card hunt. Let's check back at the all-star break, but i'd find it hard to believe that IF this pitching stays strong, this team won't still be in contention.
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