Category: Player Analysis 2011

Speed guy makes good. Bourn was drafted by the Phillies out of the University of Houston in 2003, in the fourth round, and had a minor league career you’d expect with his talent base — decent average, walks, a lot … Finish Reading

Disturbing. Hicks probably won’t cost the Braves anything, as the offensive difference between Diory Hernandez‘s zero and his less-than-zero should be pretty minor as long as AAG stays healthy. It’s rather what Hicks represents — that the current incarnation … Finish Reading

An odd assortment of strengths and weaknesses. I’d rather have that than a bench player who’s mediocre at everything.

Young’s from Temple, Texas (like Lance Berkman). He played three years at New Mexico before the Braves signed him as … Finish Reading

The primary beneficiary of Joe Mather playing himself off the team. Conrad got by far the most major league playing time of his career last year, mostly as a pinch-hitter. He played in 103 games, entering 58 of them as … Finish Reading

Just pitched so damned well that the Braves put him in the rotation over Mike Minor, even though Minor also pitched well. So I look pretty stupid.

Beachy is from Indiana and went to a small college there. That … Finish Reading

I don’t normally profile the manager, but normally the manager has been the same guy every year. Hence, the new guy:

Fredi Gonzalez was born in Cuba in 1964, but grew up in Miami. He was a 16th-round draft pick … Finish Reading

If anything happens to Brian McCann or David Ross, it would seem that J. C. Boscan has replaced Clint Sammons (no longer in the organization) as the guy they’ll call up. Nothing better happen to them. Boscan, proof that … Finish Reading

The last spot on the roster will, presumably, go to somebody who can play centerfield. I suppose it’s possible that the Braves would go into the season with nobody on the roster to back up Nate McLouth except Joe Mather… Finish Reading

I kept putting this off, but it really looks like the Braves, barring some NRI playing out of his head in spring training, really are going to go into the season with this guy as the backup shortstop and only … Finish Reading

In the starting rotation, there are two pitchers who might go if something goes wrong with one of the top five, though unless someone gets hurt or Mike Minor is really bad, I don’t think anyone has much of a … Finish Reading