COMMENTARY | The Atlanta Braves have not won a World Series since 1995, when they boasted arguably one of the top starting rotations in MLB history, led by the trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. Along with a lineup featuring a rookie by the name of Chipper Jones and veterans like Marquis Grissom, David Justice and Fred McGriff, as well as a dependable bullpen headed by Mark Wohlers, Greg McMichael and Brad Clontz, the Braves ran roughshod over the newly-formed National League East, winning it by 21 games before going on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in six games in the World Series.
Over the next several seasons, the Braves would have best been typified by the phrase “Close, but no cigar.” Although they reached the NL Championship Series each of the next four years, including two more appearances in the Fall Classic, they were unable to get over the hump and hoist the trophy again – a feat that has continued to elude them ever since.
Atlanta perenially stakes a claim to being one of the best teams in MLB, with Chipper Jones remaining the club’s leader until his retirement at the conclusion of the past season. It also possesses one of the most fruitful farm systems in baseball, having developed such major leaguers as Brian McCann , Jason Heyward , Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons , all current starters on the big league club. Despite this, the Braves have understandably found it difficult to replace the contributions of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz, with their bullpen also going through a period in which it was anything but reliable.
The way things sit now, though, the Braves have to be looked at as one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2013. Many of the problems of past years have been addressed and it can now be argued that they have one of the best rotations, bullpens, offenses and defenses not just in their division or their league, but the entire MLB.
Here is a glimpse at each of those four facets of the 2013 Braves:
Rotation
With a staff headed by 27-year-old Kris Medlen , who went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 120 strikeouts last year despite being a reliever until the final two months of the season, and 37-year-old Tim Hudson , who posted a 3.62 ERA to go with a 16-7 record and 102 strikeouts despite missing the first month of the season due to injury, the Braves are relying on a mix of youth and experience to give them a 1-2 punch that can be counted on week in and week out. Had Medlen been a starter for the entire 2012 campaign, he likely would have been in the conversation for the NL Cy Young Award. And the fact that Hudson was even able to sniff 16 wins after being out for one-sixth of the season is nothing short of remarkable.
Joining Medlen and Hudson will be 25-year-old lefty Mike Minor , who was once the goat of the rotation, but turned into its second-best starter (behind Medlen) down the stretch last season. Minor has been compared to Glavine, just as Medlen has been compared to Maddux, and if each can be even half as good as the men they have been compared to, Atlanta could be on its way to building another dynasty.
The rest of the rotation will likely shake out to include 30-year-old southpaw Paul Maholm and raw but talented 22-year-old Julio Teheran . The former was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in July, proving to be solid but unspectacular, while the latter made just one spot start and one relief appearance, providing glimpses of both his potential (his rocket arm) and what could ultimately be his downfall (his wildness). Of course, those two could receive some reprieve in the form of 26-year-old Brandon Beachy, who is expected to return at midseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Beachy, who was the club’s ace pre-Medlen, is the Smoltz to Medlen and Hudson’s Maddux and Glavine.
Bullpen
Short in stature but big in right arm, 24-year-old Craig Kimbrel has established himself as one of the elite closers in MLB with back-to-back 40-plus save seasons, while lefties Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty have given him two of the premier setup men in the majors. With the addition of flamethrowing righty Jordan Walden and a number of rubber-armed sidekicks, no opposing team will want to see the arms that the Atlanta ‘pen has to offer.
Offense
Second-year shortstop Simmons will likely find himself in a new role as the squad’s leadoff hitter, which is a step down from Michael Bourn’s leadoff abilities but a step up in age – or down, depending on how you look at it – given that Simmons is seven years younger than the guy he is replacing. Heyward is expected to be the No. 2 hitter, while Justin Upton and older brother B.J. , who were brought on board during the offseason, will team with McCann (when he returns from offseason shoulder surgery) to fill out the 3-4-5 portion of the batting order. Freeman and Dan Uggla will hit sixth and seventh, while Juan Francisco or Chris Johnson , depending on the opposing pitcher, will play third base and hit eighth.
Even though the Uptons and Uggla are all capable of extended hot streaks as well as lengthy cold streaks, the potential is there for the Braves to hit a litany of home runs and really bash the competition. Ultilityman Martin Prado , who was a casualty in the deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that landed Justin Upton, will be missed, as he could play seemingly everywhere but hot dog vendor – and he might even be able to do that – but with their combination of strengthed starting lineup and improved bench (which includes catcher Gerald Laird , outfielder Reed Johnson , infielder Paul Janish and either Francisco or Johnson), the Braves should field an even better offense in 2013.
Defense
Speaking of fielding, one of the aspects of this Braves team that has seemed to fly most under-the-radar has been its capabilities in the field. Despite the defensive deficiencies of both of its third base options, Atlanta has an ever-improving backstop in McCann and defensive specialist Laird backing him up, along with one of the NL’s best fielding first basemen in Freeman and one of its best double-play combinations in Uggla and Simmons up the middle.
Not only that, but the Braves now possess an outfield that may track down more balls than ever. “UpUp-N-Hey,” as I like to call Upton, Upton and Heyward, all have above-average speed. Furthermore, while Heyward has by far the best throwing arm of the three, the defensive exploits of Justin and B.J. are nothing to sneeze at.
So what’s all this mean?
In my opinion, 2013 could be the year of the Braves, as they seek to end their 18-year World Series drought. They will be seeking contributions from both the old players and the new, but it is quite possible that they have just the right mix to make a deep run come October.
Josh McKinney is a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Braves whose all-time favorite player is Chipper Jones. You can follow McKinney on Twitter @SuperJMac32.
