C'mon, Braves!

Tonight the Atlanta Braves (7-9) will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers (7-9) at Dodger Stadium. Probable starters for pitching are Hudson (ATL) and Lilly (LAD). This game could go any way, in my opinion. So far this season Atlanta has been very unpredictable. With such a solid line up, I can't help but ask myself, why aren't they winning more games? It's still early on in the season - but how are they at the bottom of the standing with only the Mets beneath them?




Chipper Jones has yet again proven himself as one amazing ball player. His BA is at .327 and recently just reached his 2,500th hit in his now 18th-season career. So far this season he has had two home runs. He may not be near the league leader, but he's not at the bottom, either.

Then there is Dan Uggla. I was a bit apprehensive about this trade and although I do love Uggla, I don't know if it was worth losing Omar Infante over. Uggla's numbers aren't horrible, don't get me wrong by any means, but I don't think he's that outstanding of a player. Last year he was ranked 7th in the NL for runs, 11th for SLG, 5th for HR, and even 20th for his BA. So far in the 2011 season? A .177 average. I'm sure we can also place some blame on the fact that he's on a new team. And let's face it - the team did take a turn this year with Fredi Gonzalez. (I do like him and think he was a good pick, but it was a big transition from Bobby Cox.)

Then there is the wonderful Jason Heyward. It's only his second season in the MLB and already he boasts a career BA of .274, this season he's at .240 with a OBP of .377. He's already managed 4 home runs, 1 triple, and 1 double. In 2010 he was rookie of the year and an all-star. He was 4th in the NL for OBP as well. He's making a name for himself.

The young Freddie Freeman is off to a somewhat rocky start. So far his AVG is significantly higher than last season's. In 2010 he was at bat only 24 times and carried a .167 (not much lower than Uggla's current, may I add) and this year he's already been at bat 46 times, holding a .239 AVG. I think with a little more time, he'll be holding his own. He's already gotten one homer this year.

Let's see if they can pull off a win tonight. I'd really like to sit here and analyze all the players, but, unfortunately,  I have to actually go to Biology today. Boo!