Atlanta Braves: Why 21-21 Isn't That Big Of a Deal

Today, the Atlanta Braves stand at a mere 21-21; a .500 winning percentage. This may seem shocking to others that may have had the Braves doing better in a so-called "weak" division, but to me, it's perfectly normal.

The Braves have a pretty normal history of being a second-half team.

To improve on their record so far they need a couple of things to happen:

1. Chipper needs help.

Chipper Jones is leading the majors with a .419 batting average, by far the best start of his career so far. But he can't carry the Braves himself every day. He also leads the Braves in home runs (11), RBI (32), and runs (30). Other players like Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, and Mark Teixeira need to "chip" in.

2. You can't just win at home.

Yesterday, the Braves lost 5-4 to Oakland, snapping an eight-game winning streak at home. So far the Braves are 15-5 at home but are a mere 6-16 away from Turner Field, which just doesn't cut it.

If the Braves want to make some noise this year in the NL East, they need to win easy games against Washington or other weak NL teams.

3. Their pitching needs to come around.

Tim Hudson leads the Braves with six wins and newcomer Jair Jurrjens has the team lead in ERA at 2.82. These two pitchers are getting the job done, but Tom Glavine (1-1) and Jo-Jo Reyes (1-1) need to help the bullpen out by giving them something to work with.

Also the bullpen has been inefficient, aside from Manny Acosta doing a nice job filling the closer spot for Rafael Soriano, who is on the 15 day disabled list with tendinitis.

If the Braves can fix some of these problems, they will be fine. But look for a strong second half as the Braves start to get healthier and look to make a strong run at the division-leading Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies.