2013 MLB Team Previews – Atlanta Braves
As a perennial contender to win not just the NL East but the National League Pennant as well, the Atlanta Braves once again find themselves in prime position to make some serious noise in both races. Last season they posted 94 wins to finish as one of two wildcards in the NL but came up short against St.Louis in the newly instituted play-in game for the NLDS.
The Braves’ roster remains basically intact from last year’s squad, but sporting a few tweaks here and there that will hopefully result in a much longer run in this season’s playoffs.
Bovada’s Odds to Win
- NL East +225
- National League: 7/1
- World Series: 16/1
Key Additions
The one noticeable subtraction from this year’s team is long-time Atlanta veteran Chipper Jones, who will never be forgotten but may not be all that missed with a wealth of talent back from last season’s ball club.
The big addition to the lineup was a couple of Upton’s in BJ and his brother Justin, who were brought in to fill some holes in the outfield.
Projected Starting Line-Up
- 1. Andrelton Simmons, SS
- 2. Jason Heyward, RF
- 3. Justin Upton, LF
- 4. Freddie Freeman, 1B
- 5. B.J. Upton, CF
- 6. Dan Uggla, 2B
- 7. Juan Francisco, 3B
- 8. Gerald Laird, C
Last season, the Braves batted .247 as a team which was ranked 11th in the Nationals League, but the lineup was ranked seventh in RBI(660) and total runs scored (700). Given its current makeup with better balance from top to bottom, look for Atlanta to actually improve in all three categories this season. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Projected Starting Rotation
- 1. Tim Hudson
- 2. Kris Medlen
- 3. Mike Minor
- 4. Paul Maholm
- 5. Julio Teheran
Tommy Hanson is gone from last season’s rotation, but the five starters that remain should not skip a beat this year. Medlen is poised to make a much bigger contribution this season after still recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2012 and the rotation will be even deeper once Brandon Beachy is cleared to return; hopefully sometime around the All-Star break.
Closer
- Craig Kimbrel
Kimbrel remains the crown jewel of the bullpen and should once again be the go-to guy in the team’s late-inning staff. The addition of Jordan Walden, who was the Angels’ closer last season adds even more depth to a very talented squad.
Overall the Braves posted a team ERA of 3.42, which was the fourth-lowest in the National League. This staff was ranked third in hits allowed and fourth in total runs allowed.
2013 Atlanta Braves Prediction:
No matter how many changes this team endures from season to season it always finds a way to win far more games than it loses. Its last losing record was in 2008 and since then it has won at least 86 games each year.
The Nationals remain the class of the NL East, but look for the Braves to keep the division race interesting right into the month of September.
