Atlanta Braves

Entering Spring Training, the Atlanta Braves only have a few questions surrounding the depth of their team, something manager Fredi Gonzalez will surely keep an eye on throughout February and March.

Over the course of the next month, Gonzalez will decide on the club's fifth starter — likely Mike Minor — and also evaluate the team's relievers, as they are looking for someone to occupy the final bullpen spot.

It was a magical season for Tim Hudson, who had pitched just 42.1 innings in 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008.  His numbers were fine in that span (3.61 ERA, 1.46 WHIP), but no one knew exactly what to expect in his first full year back.  Hudson performed better than anyone could’ve expected, posting the following line:

17 Wins
228.2 Innings
2.83 ERA
1.15 WHIP
139 Strikeouts (5.47 K/9)
74 Walks (2.91 BB/9)
.250 BABIP

There is a new wave of talent arriving in Atlanta with optimism.

Fredi Gonzalez returns to Atlanta as manager, replacing legend Bobby Cox. The Braves made a trade for Dan Uggla, the former Florida Marlins All-Star second baseman. Freddie Freeman will attempt to fill the void at first base and capture the same thrill Jason Heyward supplied last season as a rookie.

Chipper Jones will provide leadership and balance for a young and transforming team. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Jones has been injury-prone.

1) Will Nate McLouth return to All-Star form?

Putting it nicely, McLouth had a dismal 2010 season.

In 85 games, he hit six home runs and had 24 RBI. He spent much of 2010 at AAA-Gwinnett before being called up late in the second half of the season when rosters expanded.

The Braves are hoping that McLouth has turned it around this offseason and will be ready to contribute in 2011.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Freddie Freeman is the Braves’ top offensive prospect and a guy who the team will be depending on at one of baseball’s most important offensive positions.

Freeman is all but a lock to be the Braves’ first baseman and should end up producing at a very good level even this year. He may not reach Jason Heyward’s success from a year ago, but don’t be shocked if Freeman wins the Rookie of the Year award or finishes very close to doing it.

The baseball offseason has all but come to a close and just over two weeks remain until the Atlanta Braves’ first spring training game against the New York Mets on Feb. 26.

No Braves player is itching to get back onto the field quite like Brooks Conrad.

As we head toward the start of the 2011 MLB season, it’s time to start previewing the NL East.

Instead of just giving a projection for each team, I’ll rank all of the projected starters at every position, leading up to the final predictions.

The catchers are up first, and as with the division in general, the Braves and Phillies are battling for the top spot. Brian McCann and Carlos Ruiz were 1-2 in the National League in WAR for catchers this past season (and Ruiz actually had a higher wOBA), but who will perform better in 2011?

Chipper Jones, who has been a staple in the Atlanta Braves lineup since 1995, will play this season under new management for the first time in his career.

How will this affect him? This is one of many questions that the aging superstar will have to answer in his 2011 campaign.

Whilst recovering from a career-threatening injury, the most prominent question on fan’s minds is whether or not he will be healthy enough to play, and play effectively.

The Atlanta Braves have always prided themselves in having a great minor league system.

Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, who just go out and buy other teams' players, the Braves consistently develop their young talent through their minor league teams.

Braves such as Jason Heyward, Brian McCann and Tommy Hanson are all examples of the quality training that players receive in cities such as Lawrenceville and Rome.