Will All the Doubters Please Sit Down

Will All the Doubters Please Sit Down

 

 

Before the 2014 season began, numerous prognosticators, myself included, questioned whether the Braves would be able to replicate their pitching susccess due to the injuries their pitching staff was piling up. Well, the season has started and the team has kindly told all of us to sit down and shut up. Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy need Tommy John Surgery? No big deal. Gavin Floyd and Mike Minor starting the year on the DL? So what? Atlanta has proven that with a lot of skill and just a little bit of luck, they very well may be the team to beat in the National League.

Julio Teheran was pegged from the beginning to be a star for this team and he has not disappointed. He is a frontline starter and ace in every sense of the word. The late signing of Ervin Santana has shown that Spring Training can be overrated. Santana, after having a good year in the American League last year enters the National League and does what most guys in that situation do, pitches phenomenally. His haircut may make him look like he works at Good Burger and wants to take your order but his stuff is nasty. He realized his best option was signing a one year deal and facing facts that he wasn’t going to get the money he was looking for, but from what he’s shown so far, he will end up getting that money anyway. Alex Wood is a good young mid rotation starter and has struck out 20 batters in 21 innings. He gives the Braves good versatility because his stuff can translate well to the bullpen down the line or if the Braves get back to full strength and want to trade Wood he will command a big return. 

So far nothing really unexpected has happened or been talked about but now is when things get interesting. Anyone who predicted the starts to the year that David Hale and Aaron Harang are having, please go down to your local market and play the lotto. The production these guys are giving the Braves is spectacular and they are doing a fine job of holding the spots of Minor and Floyd. Once Minor returns Hale should shift to the bullpen, which surprisngly has not been Atlanta’s strong suit this year, giving them a good arm to improve the numbers.

The Braves could very well run away with the NL East again this year as the Nationals, who were seen as the favorite and a superior team, have had some injuries and are having trouble getting going. It also doesn’t help that Matt Williams and upper management don’t seem to have a problem batting Bryce Harper low in the order where he cannot be as effective. Once the bullpen rights itself and somewhat returns to form this is going to be a very dangerous team. Badstreet USA will be rocking this summer and the competition will be chopped down to size.

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