The Sideline

It’s early, sure enough, but the excitement level is through the roof for the 2010 edition of the Atlanta Braves. After a questionable trade of ace Javier Vasquez, the offseason has shaped up quite nicely and led into a hot start.

Speaking of hot starts, how about Jason Heyward? I must say I have never been this impressed with a rookie player right out of the gate. Just watching his composure at the plate and in the field, he looks like he has been in the league for years. His monster home run in his first at-bat was not a rarity, but rather the start of a career full of such moments.

With his first swing, Heyward grabbed every Braves fan by their shirt collars and pulled them out of their seats. He has already somehow managed to live up to sky-high expectations, and appears to have the talent to exceed them. It is extremely rare to watch a rookie player do so much for a lineup. Inserting Heyward at the seventh slot in the order and moving him up gradually protects him early and helps other Braves hitters see better pitches as opposing pitchers start to fear the damage he can do, and treat him as a great player, regardless of his youth and inexperience.

Surrounding Heyward in the lineup is an outstanding mix of power, average, speed and experience.

Chipper Jones is the veteran glue of this team, leading with his play and in the locker room. The youth of the Braves is not a bunch of rookies, but rather a group of game-hardened players who can each take over a game on any given day. Yunel Escobar and Martin Prado form one of the best all-around middle infields in baseball, and with the addition of Melky Cabrera to an outstanding outfield with Heyward and Nate McLouth, the Braves have an explosive lineup and solid defense.

With a pitching staff that features no true “ace” but a balanced starting five with a wide range of styles, the Braves will get consistent chances to win close games, especially with Billy Wagner’s cannon of a left arm closing out games.

Oh yeah, and then there’s the fact that this is Bobby Cox’s last season as manager, ending arguably the greatest run in baseball history.

Watch the Braves this season, for a lot of reasons. The sky’s the limit. Or should I say World Series.

Posted by Preston Sellers on Apr 9 2010. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry