Coming into the 2011 season, the Atlanta Braves had high expectations for their squad. The team was looking strong after 2010, but it was clear that a few areas needed work. There was a hole at 3B that needed to be filled, and the GM did just that by signing Jeff Baker to take over duties at third. He has performed very well this season. As of June 1st, he is hitting .310 with 10 HR, 35 RBI, and an OBP of .364. He is also performing well at 3B with just 2 errors so far on the year, which is very good considering he is not a natural third basemen.
Another hole that needed to be cleared up was the back end of the starting rotation. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson make a great 1-2, but we weren't sure about what to do with the other three spots. Atlanta has a very strong farm system when it comes to starting pitching, so we called up LHP Cole Rohrbough and RHP Paul Clemens to step into the 3 and 4 spots who have been both pitching well in their rookie campaigns. The team recently decided to bring up RHP J.J. Hoover due to an injury. In his first 6 starts as an MLB pitcher, he went 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA and 32 K's in 38 IP. Look for him to permanently take a spot in the rotation in the near future.
As the season started, the Braves took an early jump on the division, and they have done a great job of holding on to it. As of July 1st, the Braves are 31-21 with a three game lead in the NL East. Our top offensive performer has been Ryan Howard, who currently is hitting .314 with 13 HR, 36 RBI, and a .401 OBP. On the pitching end of things, Tommy Hanson has been stellar in 2011. He is 7-0 with a 3.51 ERA and 88 K's in 74 IP. Look for him and Jair Jurrjens (who is 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA) to carry the Braves for the rest of the season.
Going into the Amateur draft, the Braves will likely have the mindset of drafting the best available player. There is not a certain position that they will be drafting for, but if they got put in a position where there were many good choices during their pick, they would lean towards taking a position player who can hit the ball.
As far as things for the trade deadline go, the Braves will definitely be looking to buy. The team is performing well, but there is always room for improvement. If the market allows, the Braves may try to go after a corner outfielder with a good bat and possibly a solid starting pitcher. They will also, as always, be looking to improve their bullpen, which they have been trying to do all season. The Braves seem to be on the right track in 2011 and look for them to make a deep run in the post season if everything goes according to plan.
Good Job man. 1M to you.
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