Complete Atlanta Braves 2015 Spring Training Preview
Pitchers and catchers are set to report for the Atlanta Braves in less than two weeks (Feb. 20), signaling the beginning of baseball season.
It will be an interesting spring training for the Braves, to say the least.
The Braves went through a major makeover this offseason that has left fans wondering what this team will look like come Opening Day.
Once spring training rolls around, we should have a clearer picture of who will win key position battles while also getting a glimpse of what the future will hold with some of the club's talented prospects.
Here's your spring training preview for the 2015 Atlanta Braves.
1. Offseason Recap
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Key Additions: OF Zoilo Almonte, 2B Alberto Callaspo, OF Jonny Gomes, RP Jason Grilli, RP Jim Johnson, OF Nick Markakis, P Shelby Miller, RP Josh Outman, C A.J. Pierzynski
Analysis
The Braves' big-name additions this offseason were Nick Markakis and Shelby Miller.
The Braves signed Nick Markakis to a four-year deal to take over right field for the departed Jason Heyward. In Markakis, the Braves are getting a career .290 hitter and a two-time Gold Glove winner. He projects to be a top-of-the-order hitter who will make contact and get on base for Freddie Freeman.
The Braves are hopeful Miller can develop into the front-line starter that he was destined to be as a top prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. During his rookie season, Miller compiled a 3.06 ERA and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He struggled to begin 2014, but did post a 2.92 ERA in the second half of the season.
The majority of the Braves' other additions focused on reshaping the bullpen with guys like Grilli, Johnson and Outman. Meanwhile, the Braves also added a contact hitter in Callaspo as well as a veteran presence with Pierzynski.
Minor League Additions: P Manny Banuelos, P Mike Foltynewicz, P Tyrell Jenkins, 2B/3B Kelly Johnson, RP Michael Kohn, OF Eury Perez, SS Jace Peterson, P Wandy Rodriguez, OF Dian Toscano, RP Arodys Vizcaino, P Chien-Ming Wang
Key Losses: P Brandon Beachy, SS Emilio Bonifacio, RP David Carpenter, C Ryan Doumit, P Gavin Floyd, C Evan Gattis, RP David Hale, P Aaron Harang, OF Jason Heyward, C Gerald Laird, 2B Tommy La Stella, P Kris Medlen, SS Ramiro Pena, P Ervin Santana, OF Justin Upton, RP Jordan Walden
Analysis
After quickly glancing at this list, it is obvious the Braves lost a lot from their 2014 roster.
The Braves lost over 60 home runs and 200 RBI from Upton, Gattis and Heyward. Replacing that type of offensive production will not be easy.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff also took a hit, with the main losses being Santana and Harang. Floyd, Medlen and Beachy were all likely to move on this offseason after coming off significant injuries.
The bullpen will also look much different as two key set-up men have moved on in Walden and Carpenter.
Despite some inconsistencies, the two hard-throwing right-handers were key parts of some of the top bullpens in baseball over the last few years.
2. Injury Updates
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OF Nick Markakis
Fans questioned the signing of Markakis to a four-year deal upon learning the outfielder was set to undergo neck surgery in December.
At the time, Markakis was expected to be ready for spring training, and the Braves have given no indication that he won't be ready when spring training opens up.
He should be a full-go, but it will be worth monitoring his health at the start of spring training.
P Alex Wood
There was reason for concern with the 24-year-old left-hander when he was scratched from his last start of the 2014 season due to forearm tightness.
The Braves appear to have dodged a bullet, as Wood threw his first bullpen session and felt no pain. He told MLB.com's Jon Cooper, "The body's finally come back around to where I feel good. I'm ready to head off and get started. I'm definitely ready to get going."
Wood is an integral part of the Braves staff in 2015 and for the future, so a healthy Wood is good news for the Braves.
3. Coaching Staff
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Manager: Fredi Gonzalez
Hitting Coach: Kevin Seitzer
Assistant Hitting Coach: Jose Castro
Pitching Coach: Roger McDowell
First Base Coach: Terry Pendleton
Third Base Coach: Bo Porter
Bench Coach: Carlos Tosca
Bullpen Coach: Eddie Perez
Bullpen Catcher: Allan Butts
Special Assistant: Lee Elia
Assistant Coach: Horacio Ramirez
Analysis
The key offseason addition to the staff is hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. He comes to Atlanta after previous stops in Arizona, Kansas City and Toronto.
Seitzer's main project will be attempting to resurrect B.J. Upton's career. The signing of Upton has been disastrous to this point, and the Braves are hopeful Seitzer can make Upton somewhat productive. He will also look to get Chris Johnson back to his 2013 form, when he competed for the National League batting title.
There is no doubt there will be many eyes on manager Fredi Gonzalez. This is year five for Gonzalez, and although the Braves have made the postseason twice with him at the helm, the 2014 season was a huge disappointment. And while this team is not nearly as talented, there will be some pressure on Gonzalez to prove he is the man for the job moving forward with the Braves.
Pitching coach Roger McDowell has consistently produced great pitching staffs, and he will look to continue to develop the young pitchers in the Braves rotation.
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4. Lineup Preview
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Lineup
1. Nick Markakis/Markakis
2. Alberto Callaspo/Callaspo
3. Freddie Freeman/Freeman
4. Jonny Gomes/Johnson
5. Chris Johnson/Upton
6. B.J. Upton/Almonte
7. Andrelton Simmons/Simmons
8. Christian Bethancourt/Bethancourt
*(left-handed pitcher/right-handed pitcher)
Bench: Zoilo Almonte/Jonny Gomes, Phil Gosselin, Jace Peterson, A.J. Pierzynski, Joey Terdoslavich
Analysis
The lineup is difficult to project at this moment. The Braves will likely use a platoon in left field with Gomes and Almonte, and I'd expect Gomes to hit cleanup behind Freddie Freeman against left-handed pitchers.
Overall, the lineup features more contact hitters and fewer strikeouts than the 2014 lineup. However, where will the offensive production come from?
Can B.J. Upton and Andrelton Simmons make strides at the plate in 2015? Will Johnson return to his 2013 form? Who will protect Freeman?
I'd expect Gonzalez to utilize his bench often in 2015 to mix and match his lineup based on matchups. The bench will likely feature Almonte/Gomes, Gosselin, Peterson and Pierzynski. The last spot is a wild card with Terdoslavich, Todd Cunningham, Kelly Johnson and Dian Toscano as the likely candidates.
5. Rotation Preview
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Rotation
1. RHP Julio Teheran
2. LHP Alex Wood
3. RHP Shelby Miller
4. LHP Mike Minor
5. LHP Eric Stults
Analysis
Despite the question marks on offense, the rotation should be able to keep the Braves in most games.
Julio Teheran will headline the rotation as he looks to build on his 14-win 2014 season in which he posted a 2.89 ERA. The 24-year-old is one of the top young right-handers in baseball.
The Braves feature young talent behind him in Wood, Miller and Minor.
It will likely be a make-or-break season for Minor, as he's been up and down throughout his career. The 27-year-old struggled with health issues in 2014, so a healthy 2015 season could steer him in the right direction.
The fifth spot in the rotation is up in the air, but look for Stults to eventually win the job. The left-hander has plenty of MLB experience and can give prospects Manny Banuelos and Mike Foltynewicz more time to develop in the minors.
The Braves took fliers on Wandy Rodriguez and Chien-Ming Wang, but both should be considered long shots to win the last spot.
6. Bullpen Preview
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Bullpen
RHP Craig Kimbrel
RHP Jason Grilli
RHP Jim Johnson
LHP James Russell
RHP Luis Avilan
RHP Shae Simmons
LHP Josh Outman
Analysis
The bullpen is the toughest unit to project with this Braves team. We know Craig Kimbrel will anchor the bullpen once again as one of the top closers in the game.
Past that, there are some talented pitchers but also some unknowns. Veterans Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson have past experience as closers, but are coming off down 2014 seasons. One of them returning to form would be huge for the bullpen.
The Braves picked up Josh Outman in the offseason to serve as the lefty specialist in the pen. Will he be able to earn a spot in the bullpen or will the Braves trust Luis Avilan?
James Russell will likely serve as the long reliever. Meanwhile, there are some talented, hard-throwing right-handers in Shae Simmons, Arodys Vizcaino and Michael Kohn.
Currently, I only have Simmons making the roster, but I would not be surprised to see any of these three making the cut.
7. Prospects to Watch
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2B Jose Peraza (ETA 2015)
All eyes will be on Jose Peraza as he enters his first spring training. The second baseman is considered the top prospect in the organization by most rating services.
There is reason for excitement around Peraza, as he's a career .306 hitter with 177 stolen bases during his four seasons in the minors. The 20-year-old is considered to be the best lead-off hitting prospect in the Braves organization since Rafael Furcal.
While Peraza has an outside chance to win the second base job out of camp, it is likely he will begin in the minors, as he has just 44 games at the Double-A level under his belt. However, it is likely Peraza will see some time in Atlanta in 2015.
C Christian Bethancourt (ETA 2015)
The Braves took a risk when trading a known commodity in Gattis in hopes that Bethancourt can grow into his potential.
Bethancourt will be the starting catcher come Opening Day for the Braves.
The 23-year-old has the tools to be an elite defensive catcher with the potential to be a productive hitter. His approach at the plate will need to improve, but he does have decent pop when he squares one up.
A.J. Pierzynski could serve as a model for Bethancourt, who has been questioned about his work ethic.
P Mike Foltynewicz (ETA 2015)
The Braves acquired Mike Foltynewicz in the Evan Gattis deal with the Houston Astros.
Foltynewicz has the arm to be a strikeout pitcher; he routinely hits the upper 90s with his fastball and mixes in a biting curveball. To develop fully as a starter, he will need to work on gaining consistency with his changeup.
The 23-year-old has a legitimate shot to be the fifth starter out of spring training. With an impressive spring, he could give the Braves no choice but to keep him on the roster.
Still, I'd expect the Braves to start him in Triple-A with the idea of seeing him at some point in 2015 in Atlanta.
Others to Watch: P Manny Banuelos, P Jason Hursh, P Tyrell Jenkins, 3B Rio Ruiz, OF Mallex Smith
8. Breakout Candidates
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Christian Bethancourt
Now is the time for Christian Bethancourt.
The catcher has been tabbed as one of the Braves' top prospects for the past few seasons. He has some MLB experience under his belt, and the starting catcher job along with regular playing time is now his.
The Braves brought in a veteran catcher to serve as a model for Bethancourt and show him what it takes to be an everyday MLB catcher.
We know the skills are there for Bethancourt to be successful. This is the year for him to translate that potential into production.
Shelby Miller
You could argue that Shelby Miller broke out in the MLB during his rookie season with the Cardinals. However, I feel like Miller has flown under the radar as Brave this offseason.
Fans stung from the trades of Heyward and other big names, which has lead to low expectations for this 2015 team. However, I think fans will be pleased with the addition of Miller.
Roger McDowell and the Braves have been successful in developing pitchers, and I expect Miller to fall into that category.
It was tough for fans to see Heyward go, but the addition of Miller should help to soften the blow.
9. Positional Battles
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Second Base
The Braves entered 2014 with Dan Uggla as the starting second baseman, but 2015 will feature a different starter.
The most likely candidates are Alberto Callaspo, Jace Peterson and Phil Gosselin, with Jose Peraza as a long shot.
Callaspo looks as if he'll get the most time, as he has the most experience of the bunch. Peterson showed to be a successful hitter in the minors, but has yet to prove it in limited action at the MLB level. While Gosselin impressed in 2014, the Braves seem to value him as a utility player.
Callaspo should get the first look, but the projected starter is only keeping the seat warm until Peraza is ready.
Fifth Starter
The fifth starter has the potential to be a revolving door in 2015.
The Braves just recently acquired Eric Stults from the San Diego Padres, and he looks to be the favorite. The 35-year-old has a career 4.12 ERA and plenty of experience pitching in the National League.
His main competition are two prospects in Mike Foltynewicz and Manny Banuelos. Foltynewicz features an elite arm while Banuelos was a top prospect in the New York Yankees organization until he had some arm troubles.
Wandy Rodriguez or Chien-Ming Wang could work themselves into the conversation, but I expect this to be Stults' job to begin 2015.
Last Positional Spot
The final bench spot is a total wild card. The Braves could choose to carry an extra pitcher if no one impresses, but it's hard to envision that occurring.
The three main candidates to be the 25th man look to be Joey Terdoslavich, Todd Cunningham, Kelly Johnson and Dian Toscano.
While Johnson provides versatility, he has struggled at the plate, failing to hit above .240 in three straight seasons. I think the Braves will want Toscano to get everyday playing time, so I think he starts 2015 in the minors.
You could make a case for either Cunningham or Terdoslavich. Cunningham offers better fielding and running, while Terdoslavich provides more pop at the plate.
I give the edge to Terdoslavich, as Gonzalez doesn't have much pop on his bench. However, this is far from a sure thing and will be interesting to watch in spring training.
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