Consider the Braves lineup that was posted for tonight's opening night game:
- 2B Kelly Johnson
- SS Yunel Escobar
- 3B Chipper Jones
- C Brian McCann
- LF Garret Anderson
- RF Jeff Francoeur
- 1B Casey Kotchman
- CF Jordan Schafer
- SP Derek Lowe
This may be a key game for Braves fans to see how some of the big question marks going into the season will turn out right off the bat. Few teams are as debatable in terms of preseason expectations as the Braves. Some writers have them capturing the wildcard, while others predict Atlanta to be furnishing the basement of the NL East along with the Nationals.
While it is only one game in a sport where a single game means the least, there are a lot of questions regarding that lineup. Besides, the Braves are playing the improved World Series champions, and so these questions' answers might be even more apparent against such staunch competition.
1. Garrett Anderson: The Braves fanned on Ken Griffey, Jr. and the platoon with Matt Diaz and TBA last season was a little too inconsistent to make any real production. If Anderson has success against righties, that same platoon should be more like that of two years ago with Harris/Diaz combo.
Remember, the Braves had more hits and a better team batting average than the Phillies last season, but scored a lot fewer runs. Most of that can be chalked up to a lack of production from the corner outfielders.
2. Chipper Jones: He clearly carried the team last year, with most of the RBI and hit production coming from himself and McCann. Not many expect him to replicate his batting title from last season, but how is his strained oblique?
His batting style (in which he grips the knob of the bat in the center of the bottom hand) lends to bruising, which causes his brief stints on the DL each year (which the team expects), but if his hips/obliques/hamstrings cannot keep up with his ferocious swing and switch hitting style, the team's hitting drops off monumentally, though Prado is a capable backup.
3. Jeff Francoeur: Which one are we going to see, the 2005-2007 version or the 2008? He has a gun for an arm, certainly up with the best five in the MLB for outfielders, and his gold glove in '07 shows he is no slouch in the field, but if he continues to be anemic at the plate, it will cause some serious consideration of benching/demoting him (again).
In '06 and '07, he played every game, but last year his production was such that he was held out of games and eventually briefly demoted. The lost weight and improved power he's shown in spring training bode well, but nobody was throwing hard, and his big hits came off of pitchers' mistakes for the most part. If he can be solid at the plate, expect to see him move up in the order, to give the Braves a powerhouse 3-4-5 combo.
4. Casey Kotchman: In essence, the Braves gave up Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus (and others) in order to rent Teixeira, and now his heir apparent has arrived in Casey Kotchman.
He has little power, but he sure doesn't strike out much.
The move to the NL and Bobby Cox's small ball approach should help Kotchman, who was always more of an NL style player.
He's never hit .300, but he will be facing fewer power pitchers. He will just be trying to move baserunners around, so with his ability to put wood on rawhide, he might do so this season.
His streakyness and the lack of a second option at first (Omar Infante is the utilty IF player, but he doesn't play first) means he will really have to produce.
5. Jordan Schafer: I was among the surprised Braves fans when Atlanta sent Josh Anderson to Detroit for a mediocre relief pitcher.
Apparently Cox is sold on the youngster, who was suspended last season for PEDs. If he has the success that is expected, he has the speed and average to lead off for the squad, allowing Kelly Johnson to move to his more natural No. 2 slot.
With Blanco having been optioned to AAA, Schafer is the only true CF on the MLB roster. Many have him as the preseason NL ROY, and expectations are very high for him.
6. Derek Lowe: He's had a great spring, and he is a workhorse (within one inning of 200 in six of the last seven years and seven CG's since being in LA) and he does very well against lefties, but he is very streaky, and the Braves are without an Ace. If Lowe cannot fill that role and anchor the rotation, it could cause issues.
Lowe is a notoriously slow starter (methinks he might not have the most arduous of offseason regimens), and his stuff starts to get truly crisp around June, but the Braves cannot wait around for their No. 1 to get it going.
Tonight, we'll have to see the bite his pitches have (particularly his sinker, which I'm convinced he'd throw every time given the choice), and whether he really is in regular season form.
7. Bullpen: We all know the issues that they had last season in save and hold situations.
Their abysmal record in one-run games was nothing short of extraordinary, and one can expect the Braves' runs allowed to runs scored to be very comparable. For that reason, the bullpen's ability to maintain scoring margins will be crucial, especially since the rotation has so many question marks.
Mike Gonzalez doesn't have near the velocity he possesed before surgery, and his pitches are sweeping across rather than dropping off like they used to. Batters, particularly righties, have had no trouble hitting him, and hitting him hard. That, coupled with Rafael Soriano's incredible speed and improved control could lead to Soriano taking the closer role from Gonzo, as the position seems to still be somewhat up for grabs.
Last season, the Braves relied too much on the same few guys out of the bullpen, and this year they have bolstered their options.
Peter Moylan followed his fantastic 2007 with an absence for nearly all of 2008, as one of the Braves' many Tommy John patients. His sidearm style and superior control over his few pitches baffled a lot of batters, but can his repaired elbow hold up to his herky-jerky delivery?
With Chuck James having been non-tendered, the Braves have Buddy Carlyle and Jeff Bennett in terms of long relief options (lacking last season), which will be key if their young starters get rocked early in games. Both have starters' pedigrees, repertoires, and stamina.
Charlie Morton is starting the season on the MLB roster, but will probably be demoted early to start in the minors. Eric O'Flaherty will be key, because he performed well in the WBC and spring, and offers a lefty reliever, but his low stamina and lack of significant work in the majors makes him somewhat of an enigma. Obviously, not all of the questions about Atlanta's bullpen will be answered tonight, but we might get a glimpse at the health and effectiveness of the relievers.
Questions to bear in mind that will not be answered tonight:
Overall starting Rotation: Kenshin Kawakami clearly is not demonstrating control over his pitches, and may be struggling with his transition to MLB.
Tom Glavine is looking good, but durability is obviously a major concern (don't be surprised if the Tomahawks have to give him extra rest between some starts and have a spot starter to gap him more).
Javier Vazquez is phenomenal in terms of throwing strikes, but not so much in terms of missing bats, and Tim Hudson won't be back until August at the earliest.
Many Braves fans remain convinced that Jair Jurrjens will be the Ace in the future, but he was protected last year by pitching behind John Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, Hampton, and such, often holding the No 5 slot. This season, he will be acting as the second or third starter, and it will have to be seen how he will respond to having to keep his ERA down, since he will be facing better pitching competition.
Expect to see Tommy Hanson and Jo-Jo Reyes called up periodically and alternatingly to start. Cox doesn't like to rush pitchers into the majors usually, and probably brought Reyes up a bit too early. He won't repeat that with Hanson, so don't expect to see him before June so he does not get overworked. Reyes, on the other hand, might be called up earlier to fill starting gaps.
Keep an eye on/out for:
Jorge Campillo, who is starting in the bullpen, but is a starter by trade, and who many Braves fans have clamored to have start in the past season. He strikes out about 2.5 times more batters than he walks and averages almost exactly one hit per inning pitched, and batters hit about .250 off of him. But when he allows runners on, they often score—more than a third of his baserunners did last season.
Eric O'Flaherty, LHRP
Tommy Hanson RHSP
Brian McCann C- McCann started in all but 17 games last season and worked a lot in the WBC. Breakdown occurs among catchers more than any other position player, and the drop off from McCann (who is believed by many to be the best offensive catcher in baseball, and is solid in terms of calling games), is drastic to Sammons and Ross, and would be felt both at the plate and in terms of calling games for the young pitchers.
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