(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were competitive for most of the season last year. They fell off at the end, but it was a miracle they were even surviving until late summer.
No team was destroyed by injuries the way the Braves were. Their top four starters and top three relievers all missed at least two months of the season.
In the Mets' broken-heart case, they brought it on themselves; for the Braves, it was an un-opposable, wrathful curse.
The Braves will take more in-depth explaining because they have far more uncertainties than the Mets and Phillies.
Addressed Problems
They needed two top-of-the-line pitchers; they added three, but none are true aces. They needed to add a power-bat, but instead added an above average contact-bat with some power.
All in all, the Braves addressed their offseason needs well, but not spectacularly well.
Offense
The Braves aren't close to having the power bats boasted by the Mets and Phillies. They probably don't even have a guy who will hit 30 homers. However, they do have some "professional" hitters.
The Braves missed out on Griffey, but landed Garret Anderson. He'll hit .300 against righties and lefties and be more durable than "The Kid" would have been, though less powerful. Even if he platoons with Matt Diaz, who destroys left-handed pitching, left field will be an area of production for Atlanta.
Gregor Blanco, Josh Anderson, and prospect Jordan Schafer are battling for the center field spot, and all are capable. Anderson will steal you blind, Schafer is a great combo guy (a potential perennial 25/25 guy). Also, Jeff Francoeur will be better than last year. He'll hit 20+ homers with at least a .270 average.
Chipper Jones finally won a batting title while hitting .364 and whacking 22 dingers. This season he plans to even out his production with more homers, and likely a smaller average. 25+/.310+ is expected.
Left-handed hitter Kelly Johnson can hit 20 per year every year if he plays enough, but he often platoons at second base with Martin Prado (a righty); both players provide solid offense.
Expect Casey Kotchman to hit his stride this season. He is comfortable now and doesn't have to deal with family issues.
Overall, the Braves offense will be more improved than most expect since many players are coming back from "off" years.
Defense
The left side of the infield is a black hole, just as it is with the Mets and Phillies. Chipper Jones should have won a Gold Glove by now (the year David Wright got his first, both Chipper and Feliz outperformed Wright). Yunel Escobar is fundamentally sound with a strong arm, and Kotchman has the slickest first base glove in the division.
The outfield is solid. Garret Anderson plays his position well, all the center field candidates can go get it, and Francoeur has a Gold Glove and a rifle for an arm. The defense should be a top-third D.
Pitching
The Braves missed many of their initial targets for a true ace, but Derek Lowe should be solid (as most good sinker-ballers are) in that roll. The club added Javier Vazquez to chew up innings, but don't forget that he still has nasty stuff. Both these pitchers log consistent 200+ innings per year.
With an utterly depleted 2008 rotation, Braves GM Frank Wren took that stat very seriously and got two of the most durable pitchers available. Young Jair Jurrjens won't have the pressure of being at the top of the rotation and newcomer Kenshin Kawakami is a bonus pick up who will add strong depth.
The No. 5 spot is pretty much a given for Tom Glavine, especially since he's the sole left-handed candidate, and a veteran presence (not to mention a future hall of famer).
Jorge Campillo will likely end up spot starting and in long relief with Jeff Bennett.
Jo-Jo Reyes will begin the season in the minors.
Prospect Tommy Hanson will begin the season below Triple-A, but won't be down their too long. The first injury to the rotation will have him flying to Atlanta. The kid's a monster, and probably the second coming of John Smoltz.
Furthermore, Tim Hudson returns in August (but don't be surprised if he becomes trade bait at the deadline).
The last third of every game is locked down with the now-healthy trio of Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano, and Mike Gonzalez. The Braves will have a good lefty specialist in either Boone Logan or Eric O'Flaherty, and expect Blaine Boyer to really emerge as a dominant middle reliever.
The Atlanta Bullpen will be as strong, if not stronger, than the Phillies' and Mets', although all three will be assets to their teams.
Predicted Finish: Third Place (Again, very close)
Summary
All three teams will beat up on each other over the course of the year and will have to make sure to win their series' against the Marlins and Nationals. Thus, every division game for these three teams will be huge.
I see the teams finishing in this predicted order, but that's barring unforeseeable injuries. Expect the difference between first and third to be no more than a handful of games. As is always the case in close races, the winner will be the healthiest.
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