Freddie Freeman and 5 Vital X-Factors for the 2012 Atlanta Braves

Freddie Freeman is a beast.

He proved that last year with his second-place showing in Rookie of the Year, behind fellow Atlanta Braves' teammate Craig Kimbrel.

This year, Freeman is going to be counted on just as heavily for the Braves to produce at the plate and continue to dig balls out of the dirt at first base.

No doubt, the big left-hander was stout last year with 21 home runs, 76 RBI and a .282 batting average.

However, some things that need to change this year are his strikeout totals (142 last year), and how many times he hits into double plays (15).

If Freeman can do that, along with five other x-factors, I see no reason why the Braves can't compete with the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League East crown.

Here's a look at the five things that need to happen for the Braves this year.

Say Hey J-Hey

Jason Heyward has to rebound from a horrible 2011 campaign.

After batting .227 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI, Heyward has some major work to do in his third season in the big leagues.

While spending some time on the disabled list last year with a wrist injury, Heyward saw his starting job taken by Jose Constanza, and had to fight just to get in the lineup every day.

This year, Heyward is going to be given a chance to again be in the starting lineup, but should he falter, he'll be back on the bench.

If that happens, the Braves are in trouble.

The Braves need Heyward to regain his rookie-season form. To have him somewhere in the middle of the order or at No. 2 is exactly where the Braves want him and need him.

Think about a lineup where Heyward follows Michael Bourn or where he follows some combination of Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla and Chipper Jones.

Depending on what happens to Martin Prado, the No. 2 spot could be where he ends up. If it doesn't happen, Heyward's spot in the order will be determined by how well he's hitting.

Although Heyward didn't hit well last year, the Braves still managed an 89-73 record—just missing the playoffs. With that in mind, the Braves have another thing that needs to happen for them to succeed...

Manufacture Runs on the Basepaths

With the acquisition of Michael Bourn last year, the Braves got baseball's premier base-stealer.

Now, that he's on the roster, the Braves have to change the way they play.

Other than the 22 stolen bases Bourn had during his time in Atlanta, the rest of the Braves had a combined total of 55 stolen bases, which would have ranked them 29th in the league—just ahead of the Detroit Tigers.

The Braves have to give Bourn the green light as much as possible. Plus, other guys are going to have to take chances. Jason Heyward and Tyler Pastornicky could definitely fill this role.

Heyward showed his wheels in his rookies season, while Pastornicky has stolen 45-plus bases in each of his last three minor-league seasons, including 71 in 2010. So, he definitely has the speed and will be a good addition at the bottom of the lineup.

Picture this: Pastornicky gets on base as the eighth hitter in the order, he steals second, gets bunted over to third by the pitcher and is driven in by the top of the lineup. I know it's a pipe dream since he's a rookie, but one can only hope.

Trust the Rest of the Bullpen

The Braves have to trust other relievers besides Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty.

With Kris Medlin, Cristhian Martinez, Arodys Vizcaino and possibly Peter Moylan, the Braves have relievers that are more than capable at closing games out where they have a three-plus run lead.

Last year, one of the O'Ventbrel pitchers was called on if there were signs of trouble in a game where the Braves still had a lead of four or more runs.

This year, that can't happen.

Freddi Gonzalez has to trust his bullpen, even if they run into trouble. Sure, it's okay to use one of the three on an occasional basis in this situation, but it needs to be occasional.

By doing this, the Braves will be able to save the arms of those three, keeping them more rested as playoff time approaches.

Had Gonzalez better utilized those pitchers throughout the season, the September collapse likely wouldn't have happened.

Bench Has to Produce More

I love the way the Braves' bench is shaping up.

Although Brooks Conrad is gone, the Braves still have Eric Hinske, Matt Diaz and Jose Constanza on the bench. Depending on who they get via free agency, or who wins a roster spot in spring training, the Braves' bench could again be one of the strongest in the league on paper.

With that said, the bench has to produce better than they did last year.

When pinch-hitting situations come up, the Braves were 41-for-234, which is a .175 average and ranked them 24th in the league. The 234 at-bats was the sixth most pinch-hit, at-bats of any team in the league.

Those numbers have to improve, but could definitely do so depending on who's on base and what the situation is.

Starting Rotation Has to Be Consistent

When it comes to starting pitching, consistency is key.

With Derek Lowe gone, the Braves should be a little more consistent this year.

Although injuries to certain starters last year have the potential to carry over into this year, the one thing the Braves have no shortage of is starting pitching in the entire organization.

Currently, the starting five looks like it will be Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor.

Should one of them go down with injury, Kris Medlen, Julio Teheran and/or Randall Delgado can fill in.

The starting rotation should continue to be a strong point for the Braves—regardless if one goes down with injury. I think it's safe to say: The Braves have the deepest crop of pitchers who are major-league ready.

If that kind of consistency can be maintained (like most Braves' fans expect), then the Braves can get a leg up on the rest of the National League, and dare I even say— the Phillies.

So, what do you think? Did I miss anything or pick something that shouldn't matter?