The 2010 Atlanta Braves had one of their best seasons in a few years with young and old talent they found themselves in the postseason, but not as division champs like they have been in the past but as a wild card team. In 2010 that would be the Braves first ever wild card berth and even though they didn't make it far into the postseason they might be a little more hungry this year, but Phillies will definitely have something to say about that. The 4 time NL East Champs, the Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent pitcher Cliff Lee this offseason and have put together one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, ALL TIME?
These four aces haven't even thrown a pitch yet and everyone expects big things from all four aces. They first have to win a World Series title before being named the "greatest pitching" staff in baseball. The Braves on the other hand do know what it's like having a "BIG FOUR" in the 90's they had hands down one of the greatest pitching staffs in baseball with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery.
These guys have won a World Series title back in 1995 and the only two players on this Phillies pitching staff that has a ring is Cole Hamels and their number five starter Joe Blanton. Also in the 2011 season for the Braves there will be a big new change in managers as long time manager Bobby Cox retied and new manager Fredi Gonzalez will take over and if Gonzalez can do what Cox did then we would someday be a Hall of Fame manager. Cox when he managed the Braves won 3 NL West Division titles before the team was moved to the NL East, then won 11 NL East Division titles and was the winning manager of his only World Series title in 1995. So Gonzalez has some big shoes to replace in the NL East in 2011
The Braves pitching staff in 2011 will feature veteran pitchers who were once part of a "BIG THREE" in Oakland and Boston. We start with veteran ace Tim Hudson, Hudson in 2009 won NL comeback player of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008. In 2010 he pitched like the ace he was expected to be winning 17 games, only losing 9 games, with 139 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.83. In 2011 he is expected another great year as he is a great pitcher. He throws a nice fastball around 92-93 MPH, and sometimes can reach 94 MPH and if the Braves are going to win games they are going to need him to be healthy.
After Hudson is young gun Tommy Hanson who is only 24 years old and last season had a pretty good year for a kid who has only pitched in the big leagues for 1 year. Hanson is the one of key future players and will someday most likely be their ace somewhere down the line. Hanson in his second year as a big league pitcher had an ERA of 3.33, 10 wins, 11 losses, and 173 strikeouts. Look for him to have a big 2011 season if he stays healthy. Next is another young key future player who the Braves really need to stay healthy and have a bounce back year in Jair Jurrjens who last season had a knee injury and missed most of the 2010 season. Jurrjens who is only 25 years old is a really good pitcher when he is healthy. He throws a good fast at 95-96 MPH and his off speed stuff is pretty nasty. If the Braves want to have any shot at winning this division they will need him to be 100% this year. Next is another long time veteran pitcher who was the other guy part of a “BIG THREE” in Derek Lowe who in 2004 won a World Series title back in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox has now pitched with the Braves for 2 years now and this season will be his third year. Lowe is a good sinker ball pitcher and is a ground ball pitcher. Not a power pitcher but knows how to get hitters out and he might have been one of the key reasons the Braves made it to the postseason last year. Lowe in 2010 had a 4.00 ERA, 16 wins, 12 losses, and 86 strikeouts. For the number five spot they have to young rookies in Mike Minor who is 23 years old and Brandon Beachy who is 24 years old. Now it's clear that only one of these young pitchers will earn this spot and the other might end up in the bullpen. Now I really have no idea who will earn this spot and that's the reason why baseball has spring training to see who looks fitting for situations like these. Minor last year who pitched when called up had an ERA of 5.98, 3 wins, 2 losses, 43 strikeouts, and Beachy pitcher when called up last year had an ERA of 3.00, 0 wins, 2 losses, and 15 strikeouts.
As for the Braves bullpen it is by far one of the best in NL and it showed last year and this year they added another arm in the pen with George Sherrill. Sherrill who came over from the Los Angeles Dodgers had a 6.69 ERA, 7 HLD, and 25 strikeouts. Now his numbers don't look that great but when you’re a bullpen pitcher moved to a better team and a winning team it could help knowing that every game is big and every pitch is a key pitch. We’ll how well he does this season. Next is Eric O'Flaherty who is another young player on this team at 26 years old and will only get better. O'Flaherty is a good left handed pitcher out of the pen and isn't really used as a set-up pitcher but comes in around the 5th or 6th inning to hold a tight lead. Last year he had an ERA of 2.45, 9 HLD, and 36 strikeouts. After him is set-up guy Peter Moylan who last season was a big part of this bullpen and helped the Braves hold a lot late inning games. Next guy in the Braves pen is closer who everyone thought was going to retire is Billy Wagner. Wagner who said it in the beginning of the 2010 season said
"I'm going to retire after this season" decided to give it one more year and why not? In 2010 he had one of his best seasons for a closer who is 39 turning 40 years old this July. Wagner who can throw the fast at 100 MPH had an ERA of 1.37, 37 saves, and 104 strikeouts in 2010. Moylan is their big right handed gun in the pen and can shut down innings mainly when it comes to the 7th or 8th inning. Last year he had a 2.97 ERA, 21 HLD, and 52 strikeouts. Next is left handed set-up man Jonny Venters who a lot of people thought would be the Braves new closer in 2011 but he is still their set-up guy. Venters is a good hard ball thrower and can get the fastball by hitters around 96 MPH at the age of 25 years old, future closer for the Braves. Last year he had an ERA of 1.95, 24 HLD, and 93 strikeouts. Last guy in the Braves pen is closer who everyone thought was going to retire is Billy Wagner. Wagner who said it in the beginning of the 2010 season said "I'm going to retire after this season" decided to give it one more year and why not? In 2010 he had one of his best seasons for a closer who is 39 turning 40 years old this July. Wagner who can throw the fast at 100 MPH had an ERA of 1.37, 37 saves, and 104 strikeouts in 2010.
Now the Braves line-up is filled with young and old talent and could someday find themselves in a World Series match up. I start off with catcher Brian McCann who I think is one of the best NL catchers in the league and was voted number 3 on my list of Top 5 Best Catchers Right Now. This guy is built like an outfielder and is very strong, probably one of the best power hitting catchers in the game since Mike Piazza that's how strong he is. As a catcher behind the plate he is a rock and weighs 230 pounds. He has a great arm to go along with the package but has never won a Gold Glove. In 2010 McCann hit .269, hit 21 home runs, and drove in 77 RBI's. Over at first base they will have rookie Freddie Freeman since Troy Glaus is not playing this year he will be called up to take over for him. Now Freeman did not play in 2010 but the Braves hope he will bring the same power that he had in the Minor Leagues and is their future first baseman. Next is the guy they traded for in the offseason at second base Dan Uggla.
Uggla who was long time member of the Florida Marlins was traded to the Braves and if you’re a Braves fan you must be happy with that you have over at second base. Not only that but it will help the line-up more by adding his bat in the line-up he will either bat in the third or fifth hole. The only thing about Uggla is as good as a hitter he is he does strikeout a little bit too much for a second baseman. If he works on that he should be a great addition for the Braves this season. Uggla in 2010 batted .287, hit 33 home runs, and drove in 105 RBI's. Over at third base in long time Braves player Chipper Jones who has been the heart and soul of this team, he is like one of those players who you can't see playing for anyone else. Jones last season was another player who said he was going to retire after the 2010 season but decided also to give it one more final run. Jones who is 38 years old has been battling a bad knee injury missed a good part of the 2010 season and the question will be how well will he move over at third base. There has been some talk they could move him at first base if rookie stud Freddie Freeman doesn't play as expected. Jones in 2010 when he played batted .265, hit 10 home runs, and drove in 46 RBI's. This guy is a future Hall of Famer someday. Last player on this line-up is star right fielder Jason Heyward and boy what a hitter this kid is at the age of 21 years old.
I'll tell you what he has everything you look for in a player, speed, power, and a great arm. He might be one of the only power hitters in the game that can steal about 30-35 bases a year and now that Dan Uggla is in this line-up he could only help him as a hitter know that he can’t always get the job done someone else will. As a rookie in 2010 he had a great season and was runner up for the NL Rookie of the Year award and I think if it would have been Heyward in the World Series and not Buster Posey I think Heyward would have won it. Heyward has a long future ahead of him as a Braves player and I think will have even a better year in 2011 then he did in 2010. Last year in 2010 he batted .277, hit 18 home runs, and drove in 72 RBI's. The future lies with him.
So the Atlanta Braves in 2011 I think will be a team to watch out for and though there isn’t much to worry about in the NL besides the Philadelphia Phillies they will be a team you have to play every inning against because if you don't they will beat you and beat you time and time again. The future for the Braves also looks very good with good young talent pitchers and infield and outfield players. The 2011 Atlanta Braves are here to say!
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