It’s been a weird season and while being just five games above .500 isn’t too bunch to brag about, and despite all of the turmoil within the team, the Braves sit just three losses back of the first place Mets and two losses ahead of the third place Phillies. They couldn’t take advantage of a tough stretch by the Mets in June but they also didn’t fall too far behind and they sit on the verge of getting back on top in the National League East.
Chipper Jones has to be the team MVP so far this year. The old man leads the team with fifteen homers and even with the injuries, he sports an OPS above 1.000. You can’t argue with the strikeout to walk ratio either (36/36). Of course the biggest disappointment has to be the Jones, Andruw. He has as many homers as Chipper does, but he’s still hitting just .211. You hate to see this happen to in a contract year as well and you wonder how much this is going to hurt his market value.
John Smoltz has been the staff ace and despite the injury, I’m figuring he’ll be back as good as ever after the rest. He leads the team in all of the important pitchng categories and if the Braves are going to contend, he’ll be the arm who carries us there. Chuck James has also put together as has Tim Hudson and they round out a Braves rotation that’s underrated and one of the best in baseball, at least the front three. The back end has been where the Braves have had their problems.
The Braves open up a ten game homestand beginning tomorrow against the Pirates. Tim Hudson throws for the Braves in the opener and the Braves hitters will face Ian Snell. The Pirates are one of those teams that worry me. They’re bad enough to where you expect the Braves to walk over them and then they’re good enough to surprise a team here and there.
