They say, “You need to wait until Memorial Day to tell what kind of team you have.” That was four weeks ago. We now know what kind of team the Braves have: great starting pitching and two good hitters surrounded by a lineup that has not helped them much. But the good news, no one has punished the Braves for playing its first 60+ games hovering around .500. The Mets have dealt with numerous injuries, and the Phillies, who currently lead the division don’t have much in the starting rotation after ace Cole Hamels and the bullpen is nowhere near the level it was last season.
Hope lives with the Braves and the team has the best chance of improving its weakness without making a major roster overhaul.
The Braves could certainly make a run at the National League East division title and all of the ingredients the team needs, it already has now in its clubhouse. Chipper Jones is the reigning NL batting champ and with a fresh contract extension, Jones should feel safe about his future with the team and can simply concentrate on hitting. Though he must stay healthy, Jones still poses a threat every time up to the plate with a .308 average and .422 OBP, and opposing pitchers know he is dangerous. If they pitch around him, that still puts a runner on base for the other dangerous member of this lineup, Brian McCann. The catcher should make his fourth straight all-star team and has been simply raking since returning from the disabled list in early May. McCann’s blurry vision seemed fixed and the two-time silver slugger seems well on his way to a third award.
These two need some help however in the lineup. They may have gotten a boost with the return of first baseman Casey Kotchman, who leads the team with 16 doubles. Kotchman may not have the raw power that Mark Teixeira displayed last year but seems perfectly suited for the No.2 spot or the No.5 hole. If Kotchman continues to find the gaps, McCann and Jones should be able to trot home. Newcomer Nate McClouth should also start to provide the pop and speed in Atlanta that he showed in Pittsburgh. McClouth crushed 26 home runs last year with 94 RBI and if he just matches those numbers with the Braves, the offense will immediately take off.
The starting rotation has been stellar thus far but the wins haven’t come as easily as they would probably like. Derek Lowe has been the ace that the team wanted in the off-season and Jair Jurrjens has pitched well enough to be an all-star but his run support has been non-existent. Throw in the efforts of Javier Vazquez, who seems to strike out ten every start and the top three might be the best in the league. The important cog will be rookie Tommy Hanson. The young fireballer pitched well enough in his first three starts to post a 2-0 record and he will hopefully provide the spark that the team received in 2005 when Jeff Francoeur brought that pushed the team to its final division title. Hanson will create the buzz needed in his starts to get the lineup’s juice flowing and Braves manager Bobby Cox probably wishes to see the energy carry into the next game. David Price gave Tampa Bay a similar boost last year when he arrived on the Rays scene and that momentum carried Tampa to the World Series.
Other than Hanson, the two biggest X-factors are two guys that have recently been involved in trade talks: Yunel Escobar and Francoeur. Frenchy is back in the rut that wrecked his season last year and warranted a trip to the minors in 2008. The rightfielder has the potential to hit .300 as well as the ability to smack 30 home runs and it isn’t too much to ask for Francoeur to give the team 24 homers and a .275 average. If he gave that effort and accomplished those numbers for the season, the team would immediately take off. Also Escobar’s power numbers continue to rocket up as he has nearly reached the 10 dingers he mashed last season. If Escobar continues on is pace while still hitting his career average of .299, the run support will come for this outstanding pitching staff.
While other teams need to visit the trade deadline grocery store, the Braves have the ingredients to success. The players just need to meet expectations. Should the pitching stay strong and the offense come around, this team will move up in the rankings with no major changes.
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