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The Braves enter their mid-week series with division rival Florida Marlins 4-6, a record that most in the baseball world would call a mild fiasco for a team that garnered such praise out of March.

After putting together a strong opening series in Washington, the Braves have gone on to lose five out of the last seven games in series against the Brewers and Phillies.

Does this early-season skid foretell of another long summer in A-Town? People are already wanting Fredi Gonzalez out, Terry Pendleton brought back as hitting coach, and Freddie Freeman sent to AAA.

Ah, Braves fans…. you never fail to show the world why patience and dignity are never found without the other.

There are some definite signs that show the Braves are not going to revert back to being a team that bobbles below and above .500 in 2011, but that they actually have the makings of a National League powerhouse.

Here are 10 positives the team has shown through the first 10 games of the season.

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Though it was mostly Jason Heyward grabbing all the rookie headlines this season for Atlanta, Jonny Venters was the team’s true freshmen MVP. Often times, the players that fly under the radar and have the least amount of pressure put on them become the major contributes to their team.

For Atlanta, an organization with so much depth, some of the least known prospects often become the ones that most contribute to the big league club. Who are some candidates to be the Jonny Venters of 2011? Take a look inside, where likely at least one of these players will have a chance to state their case in the coming campaign.

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There are prospects, and then there are mega-prospects.

When each new baseball season rolls around, teams and fans evaluate the talent that each organization holds. Each organization has its gems, some of whom get compliments as the next Alex Rodriguez or Roger Clemens. 

In recent years, players like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, the Upton brothers, and Jason Heyward have been the league’s biggest attention-getters. Over the course of the last 30 or so years, there has been seemingly more and more attention given the apparent superstars of tomorrow.

Well hyped does not necessarily mean the future stars, just the players that were put under the microscope from a young age. Some players thrive in the spotlight and become superstars, while others wilt under the intense pressure and become busts.

But who are the most hyped prospects of the last three decades? And how does a mega-prospect from 20 years ago like Ben McDonald go up against a modern-day phenom like Stephen Strasburg? Take a look inside, where the most hyped prospects of recent memory are evaluated.

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A glaring hole in the Atlanta Braves’ lineup since Rafael Furcal left for free agency after the 2005 season has been consistent on-base percentage and speed. Not coincidentally, the Braves’ postseason hopes have been mostly held in check since that time.

Though Frank Wren has stated he is done making major moves this offseason after acquiring Dan Uggla, the need for speed at the top of the order is clearly evident. If the right proposal came along, could Wren find himself adding a top-of-the-order hitter? In a game that is returning to a base of moving runners from station to station, having a disruptor on base could be quite beneficial to the middle of the order.

Though a free agent like Carl Crawford would be far too expensive for Atlanta, there are still a number of potential candidates that might be available. Which candidates are reasonable, and which are only dream targets? Look inside to find out.

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Braves fans everywhere remember Ryan Klesko’s 1994 season. Robbed of finishing a solid rookie campaign by the strike-shortened season, Klesko still managed to hit 17 homeruns in just 245 at bats in his first “full” major league season.

16 years later, it would appear the Braves have another powerful left-handed hitter destined to make his presence known at the big league level. Freeman and Klesko had very similar careers up to this point. Both were drafted out of highschool by the Braves, both are left-handed hitting first basemen and both rely on their tall frames to put of power numbers. But apart from their several obvious similarities, are there really any key likenesses between the two?

Could a 21-year-old Freddie Freeman make the same impact that a 23-year-old Ryan Klesko made during the early part of his career?

At first glance, you might assume that Freeman’s minor league numbers were inferior to Klesko’s. With Klesko’s claim to fame being power numbers, it would be easy to assume that he averaged more than 15 home runs a season in the minors, right? 

Looking at stats are always helpful. Over Freeman’s 2008-2010 seasons in the minors, he has posted and average of 15 homeruns, 32 doubles, 80 runs batted in, and a .308 batting average.

Now let’s look at Ryan Klesko’s same numbers. Over his 1990-1992 seasons in the minors, he averaged 14 home runs, 20 doubles, 60 runs batted in, and a .272 batting average.

Freeman has put up better offensive numbers in the minor leagues than Klesko did during the same stage in his career.

Freeman’s average number of at bats until a home run was 30.4, while Klesko’s was almost two at bats higher at 31.9. This could be a sign of things to come. Freeman could be able to make the type of impact Klesko made in ’94 this coming season. Though Freeman is two years younger than Klesko was at that time, the maturity and consistency he has shown thus far leads me to believe Freeman will arrive with a bang this season.

Knowing that Klesko finally found his power stroke in his fifth professional season, Freeman could find himself energized accordingly in his fifth professional season. And if that happens, Braves fans will need to warm up their hips: Apache is going to be played a lot at Turner Field in 2011.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With Billy Wagner keen on retiring after the 2010 season, Frank Wren knew he would find himself this off-season once again shopping for bullpen arms.

Even with stellar rookie seasons by Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel out of the bullpen, Atlanta will seek at least one veteran arm to help out in late innings, as well as mentor the talented yet young relief corp.

Since the 2007 off-season, when the Braves traded for Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, Atlanta has been known around Major League Baseball for having outstanding bullpens. With Kimbrel and Venters coming off their rookie seasons in 2010, who will Frank Wren nab this off-season to help them out?

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