Big Braves Blog 3

With three out of the Braves four infielders returning from last year this seems to be where the team is most settled. However when Frank Wren entered the off season he hoped to produce something rather more spectacular than a settled infield. Let’s start with something near certainties; Martin Prado and Yunel Escobar. The middle infield is quite possibly the most impressive part of this Braves organisation, almost as impressive as the 1-2 punch of Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens. 2009 proved to be Martin Prado’s breakout party, blowing away any of his previous three years in the majors. He gradually increased both his appearances and statistics whilst always playing second fiddle to Kelly Johnson, the Baby Brave who never really grew up. When he finally got his chance to be the everyday second baseman early last year Martin did not disappoint. Whilst playing in twice as many games as he ever had done before Prado hit .307 with 11 homers and 49 RBI’s. Prado gave the Braves team so much more than just impressive numbers, he gave them an almost perfect number two hitter, with a .358 on base percentage and scored 64 runs, playing a role that proved so invaluable during Nate McLouths lead off struggles. Defensively he proved just as important as with the bat, in 2009 he played first, second and third base with his lowest fielding percentage being .975 in 266 innings at third and highest in his 182.2 innings at first with a .994 percentage. He played 513.1 innings at his everyday position with an eye opening .986 fielding percentage, turning 37 double plays, that’s 74 outs. The guy helping Prado turn a lot of those double plays is Cuban defector and ever improving shortstop Yunel Escobar. In my opinion, one that matters very little in the universe of Major League Baseball, Escobar should be ranked as one of the three or four premier shortstops in the National League. Last year Escobar began producing the numbers that can elevate an individual to that position, like Prado it was really Escobar’s coming out party as Bobby Cox and everyone realised his importance to the team. In 2009 Escobar had career highs in games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, RBI’s and homers. While falling short of his 2007 average of .326 he still hit a very respectable .299, one of those annoying averages that even a bloop single could have made .300. Perhaps just as impressive Yunel had a career high in fielding percentage, as crucial a stat for a short stop as any other. His percentage was slightly less impressive than Prado but impressive enough for a short stop with .979 in 1208.2 innings, more impressive is the fact he turned 83 double plays (that’s 166 outs for those keeping count).
There is very little point doubting the excellence of the middle infield, the questions regarding first and third base are unavoidable. Chipper Jones represents everything good about the Braves; he is a Braves lifer who has produced excellence both on and off the field for all that life. This time last year the only question about Chipper was over how many games he would be able to play, well that was answered emphatically; playing his most games since 2003. This offseason Chipper’s health is just about the only certainty the Braves have regarding the third baseman. Having been crowned the National League batting champion in 2008 a drop off was expected, nobody saw the 100 point drop off coming. Having hit .364 in the 2008 season his disastrous .264 average in 2009 sparked discussions from Chipper himself about walking away this year if he showed no improvement. The idea that Chipper could just walk away at the end of this year is almost unthinkable but 2009 was his worst year for a long time, one in which he showed his age for the first time. He also posted his lowest fielding percentage of his career at .930, for a third baseman that is bad, it is twenty points below David Wright who is widely regarded as the NL’s best at the position. When even the player can’t explain the problem it is almost impossible to know what went wrong, the only way we will know if it was just a three month blip or if the drop off is something more long term. Having Brian McCann injured for large chunks of last year Chipper had no protection allowing opposing pitchers to go after him, this year the Braves shouldn’t have the same problem. Chippers protection this year will be provided the biggest gamble of the Braves offseason, Troy Glaus. The new first baseman is a gamble on both offense and defence. 2010 will be the first time in his career that Glaus has served as an everyday first baseman having spent all his nearly all his time in the majors at third. In the 38.2 innings Glaus has played first he has the impressive fielding percentage of 1.000 which makes the defensive gamble look a lot more calculated, it will have to be for Braves fans to forget the glove of Casey Kotchman. Offensively Glaus will have to rebound in exactly the same way as Jones. Unlike Chipper, Troy knows injuries are to blame for his struggles of the last two years. So much of the teams offense depends on Glaus rediscovering his health and home run swing. With Chipper unlikely to hit more than 25 homers it’s important that Troy goes over 30 from the clean-up spot, something Braves players don’t tend to do that often anymore.
So that’s how the Braves infield will line up against the Cubs on Opening Day. Escobar and Prado could be there for the next 5-10 years depending on injuries, Glaus and Jones may not be there next year. If the gambles pay off this quartet could take Bobby Cox’s team to the promised land, if they back fire there will be no coming back from them.