Atlanta Braves 2011 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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New manager Fredi Gonzalez inherits a talented roster that boasts rising star Jason Heyward and a deep rotation that should keep the Braves in contention.

Atlanta Braves 2010 MLB Record: 91-71
Atlanta Braves 2010 MLB Home Record: 56-25
Atlanta Braves 2010 MLB Away Record: 35-46

Atlanta Braves 2011 Betting

Atlanta Braves Odds to Win the National League: +1000
Atlanta Braves Odds to Win the World Series: +2000

Atlanta Braves 2011 Preview & Prediction

Let the tape roll on Fredi Gonzalez’s tenure as Braves manager as he takes over for the retired Bobby Cox. He’s got a rotation largely intact from a year ago and a new 30-homer bat in Dan Uggla, who played second base for Gonzalez when he was manager of the Marlins. In Uggla, the Braves added badly needed thump but still have looming questions at third base, where Chipper Jones is attempting a comeback from knee surgery, and center field, where Nate McLouth hasn’t swung the bat well in two years. The Braves have a tough task to try to unseat the Phillies, winners of the last four NL East titles. Atlanta finished six games out of first place last year – and that was before the Phillies added Cliff Lee to pitch alongside Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. The Braves found a new way into the playoffs – their first-ever wild card berth. They might need to try that route again. But the way they figure, they’re not far off. They came a strike away from taking a 2-1 lead in the Division Series on the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Atlanta Braves Manager: Fredi Gonzalez – First year Record: 276-279

Bobby Cox’s successor has longstanding ties to the Atlanta Braves organziation and respect around baseball for the way he handled Hanley Ramirez’s lack of hustle in Florida.

Atlanta Braves 2011 Projected Batting Order: LF Martin Prado (R), CF Nate McLouth (L), 3B Chipper Jones (S), C Brian McCann (L), 2B Dan Uggla (R), RF Jason Heyward (L), SS Alex Gonzalez (R), 1B Freddie Freeman (L).

Atlanta Braves 2011 Projected Rotation: RH Tim Hudson, RH Derek Lowe, RH Tommy Hanson, RH Jair JurrJens, LH Mike Minor.

Atlon – Atlanta Braves 2011 Projected Closer: RH Craig Kimbrel

2011 Atlanta Braves Offense:

The trade for 2B Dan Uggla gives the Braves much-needed power in the middle of their lineup. Uggla’s career-high 33 HR last year makes four straight 30-HR seasons. Uggla’s arrival moves team batting leader Martin Prado to LF. Prado, who batted .307 overall and .353 at Turner Field, will remain in the leadoff spot in the order. RF Jason Heyward bats 2nd in this lineup. He posted a.393 OBP during agreat rookie season and is destined for super-stardom. 3B Chipper Jones is recovering nicely from August ACL surgery and can never be counted out with 436 career HR and a .306 lifetime average. C Brian McCann will hit cleanup and could improve his gaudy numbers hitting in front of Uggla. CF Nate McLouth hit .190 last year, but is just two years removed from a 26 HR/23 SB season. 21-year-old 1B Freddie Freeman has good pop in his bat and will get his first chance to shine as an ever-day player. SS Alex Gonzalez is still agreat defensive shortstop with 15-HR power.

2011 Atlanta Braves Rotation:

Tim Hudson is the ace of this quality rotation, going 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.15 WHIP last year. Although he’s 35, his arm is fresh after Tommy John surgery in 2008. Tommy Hanson had an excellent sophomore season with a 3.33 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 173 K. He only had 10 wins because of poor run support. Jair Jurrjens missed two months of the season with a hamstring injury, then tore his meniscus in his knee late in the season. He is on track to make a full recovery by spring training, and can certainly achieve his gaudy 2009 numbers (14 wins, 2.60 ERA, 152 K) at his young age of 24. Derek Lowe has nine straight seasons of at least 32 starts, 12 wins and 100 strikeouts. He will look to build upon a magnificent September (5-1), 1.17 ERA, 1.08 WHIP), but his time is running out, as he turns 38 in June. Mike Minor rounds out the rotation. The 23-year-old southpaw started his career by going 10 in August, but then he was shelled in September 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA in four starts.

2011 Atlanta Braves Bullpen:

Billy Wagner’s replacement in the closer role could be Craig Kimbrel. He was groomed as a finisher with 23 saves in Triple-A last year before getting called up to the big leagues. Kimbrel struck out 14.5 batters per 9 innings last year in Triple-A and the majors combined, but he also walked 51 batters in 76.1 innings. Kimbrel’s top competitor is lefty Jonny Venters. Venters came out of nowhere and emerged as a dominant set-up man. He should get save chances in lefty-heavy situations, at the very least. If the youngsters falter, bullpen newcomers Scott Linebrink and George Sherrill could be in line for saves. Sherrill is the more logical choice to close out games, with 51 saves for Baltimore in 2008 and 2009. Peter Moylan is a good filler in deep fantasy leagues with a 2.46 ERA and 17 wins in his last three full seasons.

2011 Atlanta Braves Middle Infield:

It’ll be an all-former Marlins double-play combination for the Braves, who traded for shortstop Alex Gonzalez at the All-Star break and second baseman Uggla after the season. Combined, they provide more pop than what some teams get from their corner spots. Uggla led second basemen with 33 homers last year, and Gonzalez was third among shortstops with 23 home runs with the Braves and Blue Jays. Uggla has belted 154 home runs in his first five seasons in the major leagues. He has a reputation for shoddy defense; he made three errors in the 2008 All-Star Game. But Fredi Gonzalez says many of Uggla’s errors come on aggressive plays, and he makes up for it with toughness turning double plays.

2011 Atlanta Braves Corners:

The Braves have unknowns on the corners, which is strange to say for a team with Jones, a veteran of 17 seasons. But since he’s coming back from a torn ACL at age 38, the Braves aren’t taking anything for granted. Jones won’t know how the knee responds until spring training. If he falls short, the Braves plan to move Martin Prado from left field to third base. The Braves are handing the first base job to 21-year-old Freddie Freeman. He hit .167 (4-for-24) in a cup of coffee last year and saw his Arizona Fall League cut short by a thumb injury. But Freeman showed his potential with his first major league home run off Roy Halladay and some slick defense at first.

2011 Atlanta Braves Outfield:

An obvious place to add power was the outfield, but with Uggla available, the Braves decided instead to add it at second base and move Prado to left field. Prado was an All-Star in his first season as a full-time starter. He was also probably the Braves’ MVP. He moved from second to third when Jones got hurt in August; now he’ll have to show his versatility again by moving to a position he’s only played during winter ball in his native Venezuela. Jason Heyward returns in right after an impressive rookie season when he finished runner-up to Buster Posey for NL Rookie of the Year. Heyward showed his unique combination of power (18 homers) and discipline (.393 on-base percentage, fourth among qualifying NL hitters). McLouth is a wild card in center field. The Braves couldn’t trade him given the $7.75 million he’s owed, so they’ll send him back out hoping he turns a corner.

2011 Atlanta Braves Catching:

While still battling vision problems the first month, Brian McCann emerged as the top-hitting catcher in the National League, leading NL backstops in home runs (21) and RBIs (77). He won his fourth Silver Slugger in five seasons and has made the All-Star team each of those five years. McCann improved his throwing late in the season, which can be attributed in part to the work he did with backup David Ross, who’s got one of the most accurate arms in the league. The Braves signed Ross to a two-year extension for his defense, his clubhouse presence and his power.

2011 Atlanta Braves Bench:

The Braves will miss Omar Infante, the NL’s first All-Star utility player last year. He and reliever Mike Dunn were traded to the Marlins for Uggla. The Braves claimed Joe Mather off waivers from the Cardinals in hopes he is recovered from his wrist problems and can be their versatile presence in Infante’s absence. Mather can play both corner infield positions and all three outfield positions. The Braves also parted ways with bench fixture Matt Diaz but by resigning Eric Hinske return experienced left-handed punch. The bench was one of the Braves’ greatest strengths last year. Without Infante and Diaz, that will be hard to match.

Atlanta Braves 2011 Season Predictions

Times may be changing in Atlanta, but the legacy of success established by Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz isn’t. A talented rotation led by Tim Hudson and a productive lineup led by the explosive Jason Heyward and bolstered by the addition of Dan Uggla should be enough to keep the Braves in the hunt for another postseason berth. – We predict that the Atlanta Braves will finish 92-70 & 2nd in the NL East Division.

Atlanta Braves 5-Year Win Trend

2006: 3rd NL East 79
2007: 3rd NL East 84
2008: 4th NL East 72
2009: 3rd NL East 86
2010: 2nd NL East 91

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