Ken Rosenthal smartest man ever picks the Braves to win it all. Heres why I agree.
There is two-time American League Gold Glove winner Mark Teixeira at first base and veteran Chipper Jones at third, but the combo of shortstop Yunel Escobar and second baseman Kelly Johnson is a work in progress.
Strengths
1. Jeff Francoeur has driven in 100 runs in each of his first two full seasons (103 and 105), raised his batting average to .293 last year and added bulk to improve upon last year's 19 homers.
2. Matt Diaz may get his career .320-hitting bat in the lineup every day in left field, rather than in a platoon.
3. Mark Kotsay has led the majors in assists by an outfielder twice since 1998. Francoeur, fresh off his first Gold Glove, tied for the major league lead in assists by an outfielder last year with 19.
Plus his wife is really hot.
Pitching they got Tommy Glavine the man who won the Braves 95 world series. If he stays halfway healthy and Smoltz returns to form and Tim Hudson has a good year. We just need Hampton to show up.
Strengths
1.The gifted Rafael Soriano, a player Seattle has to be kicking itself for trading away for Horacio Ramirez.
2. A wealth of good arms and a variety of weapons — from hard-throwing Soriano and Manny Acosta (below) to side-arming Peter Moylan and left-hander Will Ohman.
3. Waiting not that far in the wings is Mike Gonzalez (below left, with Brian McCann), who converted 24 of 24 save chances with Pittsburgh in 2006. He is expected back from elbow reconstruction surgery in early June.
Weaknesses
1. Braves relievers have only 27 saves' worth of experience among them (Soriano and Ohman with 13 apiece, Moylan 1).
2. Of all the reliever candidates, only Ohman has more than 200 major-league appearances, and only one — Buddy Carlyle — is over the age of 30.
3. Only two relievers in the majors pitched more innings than Moylan last year (90 innings) and nine had as many outings (80). Will it catch up with him?
GOTTA HAND IT TO SORIANO
The Braves have turned over the closer role to Rafael Soriano, a 28-year-old with only 13 major-league saves.
As electric as his pitches are, Soriano left room for a little doubt when he missed more than two weeks of Grapefruit League play in spring training because of some elbow soreness and a bout with the flu.
And in the not-so-distant past (last season), Soriano endured an 18-game slump as a set-up man, allowing six home runs with a 6.75 ERA.
But his talent is undeniable. His .181 opponents' batting average was fifth among NL relievers last year. He has dominant stuff, a closer's panache, and serious desire. Ever since he was traded to Atlanta from Seattle before last season, Soriano has been talking about wanting the closer role.
The Braves have a nice track record of trusting their instincts and making one of their own a closer: Greg McMichael, John Rocker, Kerry Ligtenberg and John Smoltz, to name a few. Those successes were in sharp contrast to closer transplants like Dan Kolb and Bob Wickman.
9
Number of saves in 2007 from Rafael Soriano, who will be the Braves' closer this year.
80
Appearance from Peter Moylan last season, most by a Braves pitcher.
Braves win the World Series.
There is two-time American League Gold Glove winner Mark Teixeira at first base and veteran Chipper Jones at third, but the combo of shortstop Yunel Escobar and second baseman Kelly Johnson is a work in progress.
Strengths
1. Jeff Francoeur has driven in 100 runs in each of his first two full seasons (103 and 105), raised his batting average to .293 last year and added bulk to improve upon last year's 19 homers.
2. Matt Diaz may get his career .320-hitting bat in the lineup every day in left field, rather than in a platoon.
3. Mark Kotsay has led the majors in assists by an outfielder twice since 1998. Francoeur, fresh off his first Gold Glove, tied for the major league lead in assists by an outfielder last year with 19.
Plus his wife is really hot.
Pitching they got Tommy Glavine the man who won the Braves 95 world series. If he stays halfway healthy and Smoltz returns to form and Tim Hudson has a good year. We just need Hampton to show up.
Strengths
1.The gifted Rafael Soriano, a player Seattle has to be kicking itself for trading away for Horacio Ramirez.
2. A wealth of good arms and a variety of weapons — from hard-throwing Soriano and Manny Acosta (below) to side-arming Peter Moylan and left-hander Will Ohman.
3. Waiting not that far in the wings is Mike Gonzalez (below left, with Brian McCann), who converted 24 of 24 save chances with Pittsburgh in 2006. He is expected back from elbow reconstruction surgery in early June.
Weaknesses
1. Braves relievers have only 27 saves' worth of experience among them (Soriano and Ohman with 13 apiece, Moylan 1).
2. Of all the reliever candidates, only Ohman has more than 200 major-league appearances, and only one — Buddy Carlyle — is over the age of 30.
3. Only two relievers in the majors pitched more innings than Moylan last year (90 innings) and nine had as many outings (80). Will it catch up with him?
GOTTA HAND IT TO SORIANO
The Braves have turned over the closer role to Rafael Soriano, a 28-year-old with only 13 major-league saves.
As electric as his pitches are, Soriano left room for a little doubt when he missed more than two weeks of Grapefruit League play in spring training because of some elbow soreness and a bout with the flu.
And in the not-so-distant past (last season), Soriano endured an 18-game slump as a set-up man, allowing six home runs with a 6.75 ERA.
But his talent is undeniable. His .181 opponents' batting average was fifth among NL relievers last year. He has dominant stuff, a closer's panache, and serious desire. Ever since he was traded to Atlanta from Seattle before last season, Soriano has been talking about wanting the closer role.
The Braves have a nice track record of trusting their instincts and making one of their own a closer: Greg McMichael, John Rocker, Kerry Ligtenberg and John Smoltz, to name a few. Those successes were in sharp contrast to closer transplants like Dan Kolb and Bob Wickman.
9
Number of saves in 2007 from Rafael Soriano, who will be the Braves' closer this year.
80
Appearance from Peter Moylan last season, most by a Braves pitcher.
Braves win the World Series.
