Building for Yesterday and Tomorrow

What began as a team built to win now has quickly become one built to win yesterday and tomorrow, just not today. While dinosaurs like Troy Glaus and Chipper Jones (yes a Chiposauraus) have ensured the middle of the line-up has exactly zero production something strange has been happening elsewhere; the Braves have got younger and better. Over the first 6 weeks of the season there have been four young men making debuts, to make that even better is the fact that 3 of those actually project to be long term members of the team. It is very difficult to have any discussion about the new breed of baby Braves without starting by talking about the Kid, Jason Heyward.

Nothing in my limited lexicon can explain the impact that the 20 year-old from Henry County has had not just on this team but on the city of Atlanta. Watching Opening Day at the usually cavernous Turner Field was an experience usually reserved for cities like New York and Boston, the Ted was filled by a loud crowd filled with hope and expectation. And Heyward delivered. Since his first major league swing demolished a Carlos Zambrano fastball J-Hey has kept delivering for a team that so far hasn't delivered. As well as his raw talent he has shown an incredible ability to adjust to the highest level of competition. In his last ten games he has improved his batting average from .234 to .291; he has also hit 4 homers in that same period. Without any doubt Heyward is the present and future of this Atlanta team desperately in search of an identity.

Heyward will need some help to fashion this new Braves ball era and there is plenty coming through the organisation. As has become the Braves trademark the majority of their young talent sits on the mound and not at the plate. The most talented of this year’s debutants is highly touted reliever Craig Kimbrel. The flame thrower out of Huntsville, Alabama has been described as many things, most impressively “the right handed Billy Wagner”. With a fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90’s he has the kind of stuff that gives hitters fits and has done so in his 1.1 innings so far this season. Beyond his ability Kimbrel has the attitude to be successful for many years at the major league level. Backed by his heater and despite his somewhat diminutive stature he has shown an ability to be aggressive to even the best hitters. Hopefully he can spend the 2010 season shadowing the veteran Virginian, Wagner, and learn how elite closers get to be elite.

Kimbrel was preceded in the Atlanta bullpen by 25-year-old rookie Jonny Venters who joined the Braves ‘pen as the final nail in Jo-Jo Reyes’ major league career, and quickly showed he was a much sharper nail. So far he has completed 11 innings in eight games and compiled a 1.69 ERA and looked every bit a big leaguer. Regardless of whether or not Kimbrel becomes a dominant closer he will be no use if the team can’t get him leads and that will increasingly become Venters job. He kind of came out of nowhere but has now become a central piece of the over burdened relief corps and been as quietly effective as anyone could have imagined.

The least heralded and least used of the debutants so far has been shortstop Brandon Hicks. A gold glove in waiting Hicks has never really adjusted to the wood bats of pro ball having hit just .179 at triple-A Gwinnett this year. Hicks is the least likely to succeed especially given the relative solidity of Yunel Escobar as the Braves long term short, but that doesn’t mean he should be counted out. There is always the possibility that Hicks is just one adjustment away from being a solid hitter but projects much better as a career pinch runner. Although we do keep playing Brooks Conrad so anything is possible.

When you add the likes of Heyward and Kimbrel to the young players who made their debuts last year we suddenly have a core of all-star potential players. Those from last year include Cy Young in waiting Tommy Hanson, who has already confirmed himself as the Braves staff ace, and future starter Kris Medlen. The two Californians have shown the ability to be true quality pitchers, despite Medlen working primarily as a reliever for his first two big league years. However with the over-priced Kenshin Kawakami’s contract finally ending at the end of the year the Braves will have a spot free in the rotation and, in my opinion, the team is better off inserting Medlen as the fifth starter and spending the KK money on a genuine hitter. The world has seen what Phil Hughes has achieved for the New York Yankees this year with the prior knowledge that he would be a starter and, even if he is not as talented, Medlen could be equally as effective with the correct preparation. While Tommy hasn’t been great this year he has still compiled a 2.83 ERA while struggling to find the consistency he displayed last year. Hanson is much more than simple statistics, there are times watching Hanson when he just over matches professional hitters, his curveball has an embarrassment inducing quality that only elite pitchers possess. My praise for Hanson and Medlen is without once mentioning that last year’s standout Jair Jurrjens is himself only 24 and has just as much chance as Hanson to win a Cy. The most successful years in the organisations history was behind three great pitchers, the question is are these three great?

It is also worth remembering two of the Braves best current players are both 26-years-old. Second Baseman Martin Prado and Catcher Brian McCann should be solid .300 hitters for at least the next five years or so. The good news for all Braves fans is that Atlanta seem to have loaded up for years of success in the near future, the bad news is it is not near enough for 2010, sorry Bobby.