Kuzul

The Jay-Hey Kid came through again tonight.  Jason Heyward, a favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year, hit a double, moved to third on a Chipper Jones sac fly, and stole home on the next pitch.  He’s stealing more than bases these days, however.  He is stealing the thunder right out of the Phillies and Mets.

It couldn’t come at a better time.

The Braves, atop the NL East and poised to take their first divisional crown since 2002, are cruising with the help of Heyward, 2010 All-Star Game MVP Brian McCann, Troy Glaus, Martin Prado, Matt Diaz, and the crew.  The Braves possess the depth and talent likened to many of the pennant winners in the 1990s.

With a rotation that features Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, and a surprise in Kris Medlen, the pitching is as solid as the days of Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz-Mercker-Avery.  The bullpen is good, too, with guys like Peter Moylan, Eric O’Flaherty, Johnny Venters, and, of course, the venerable Billy Wagner.

Many of those names made impacts tonight.

Tim Hudson pitched 7 2/3 innings of one run, seven hit baseball, striking out seven in the process and walking just one.  Out of 96 pitches, 63 were strikes, including 18 first-pitch strikes.  Venters struck out Adam Dunn to end the eighth.  Wagner, as is often the case, pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his 23rd save on the year.

Prado continued to flourish in his leadoff role, going 3-5 with a double and two runs scored.  Chipper was 1-4 with 2 RBI.  Brian McCann also stole a base, his fourth of the year. 

The Braves improved their record to 58-42, 16 games above .500 and 3.5 games ahead of Philadelphia.  Philadelphia has been hot of late, riding a seven-game win streak.  Atlanta is fighting to stay atop the NL East, and they are getting contributions from everyone.

This Atlanta team is going to be seeing October for the first time in nearly 10 years, and I couldn’t be happier.

NOTES

• Stephen Strasburg was scratched from what was to be his 10th ML start with shoulder soreness.  He isn’t expected to miss any time and should make his next start.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the non-waiver trade deadline looming less than a week away (this Saturday), the Atlanta Braves are sitting in a pretty good spot.

Granted, they just lost two of three in South Florida from the now-.500 fourth place Marlins, but the club still holds the National League’s second-best record (57-41) and a five game advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies.

But, there is a little room for improvement.

Well, actually, center fielder Nate McLouth’s .168/.279/.265 line offers room for a significant amount of improvement (and a slumping Troy Glaus isn’t much to shout about, either—but we’ll refrain from discussing that at this time).

And the question right now is: Where is that improvement going to come from?

The first, and most painless, option is to look at the options already available within the organization.

Melky Cabrera has been a serviceable outfielder for the Braves, posting a .263/.320/.360 line with, overall, solid defense in the outfield.

But, he’s not exactly injecting any “pop” (or awesome on-base skills, for that matter) into the lineup (his most valuable asset seems to be a positive attitude in the clubhouse).

And Jordan Schafer …well, let’s just skip him (I was wrong with what I said about him earlier in the season and I’m feasting on my plate of crow right now).

The third internal option is Gregor Blanco , who was a valuable asset in his 36 games with the big club earlier this season.

In a grand total of 58 at-bats, primarily batting eighth, Blanco was able to work the count, bunt, and slap his way to a .310/.394/.362 line (two of his 18 hits were of the extra-base variet—a double and a triple).

His defense was more than adequate in center and the only real knock (besides the power—which no one expects from him) on him would be his 15 Ks—but that .394 OBP makes up for that.

All in all, Gregor was a fine option for the bottom of the Braves’ order and is, for me, the best option of any of the Braves’ “major” center field options.

But, if the Braves decide to make a move outside of the organization, who’s there?

Corey Hart-types (you know what I’m talking about) are going to demand at least one of the Teheran/Minor/Vizcaino (who is injured)/Delgado crop and it doesn’t seem reasonable to let go of primo young pitching for a player without a proven track record in the midst of a career year.

The most likely option seems to be Florida Marlins’ center fielder Cody Ross (who’s received mixed reviews as far as true interest from the Braves’ front office), so we’ll focus on him right now.

The .273/.330/.402 (which amounts to an OPS 24 points lower than Blanco’s—just keep in mind that Gregor posted his in very limited playing time…just think it’s work mentioning) line Ross has posted has come with eight homers and nine stolen bases—the former being far off pace from his 24 homers in 2009 and 22 in 2008 while the latter is the highest SB tally he has posted in his career (full season or not).

While his numbers certainly aren’t gargantuan, they are a definite upgrade over McLouth’s and Ross seems to be a much more reliable option than my choice from within the Braves’ organization (Blanco).

But, what are the Marlins going to demand from a divisional rival for a player that they’re iffy (at best) on trading?

I figure that Melky Cabrera, Zeke Spruill/Cory Gearrin, Adam Milligan/Cody Johnson (pick your combo) would be enough…but what if they demand one of the young studs I mentioned earlier?

Do the Braves pull the trigger then?

It’s a tough decision, that’s for sure—one I don’t envy.

Should the Braves go for a more reliable bat in center for the stretch run or should they stick to their guns and run with what they’ve got?

Whatever they do, I’m just hoping that Nate “McOut” McLouth is out of town by the time Sunday rolls around.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Justin Morneau has been placed on the 15-day disabled list “as he continues to recover from a concussion that he suffered on July 7,” according to the Minnesota Twins’ official website.

Morneau was attempting to break up a potential double play at second base, when he was accidentally kneed in the head.

This is Morneau’s second trip to the disabled list with concussion symptoms in his career. In 2005, he was hit in the head by a Ron Villone pitch that subsequently landed him on the DL.

Justin will be eligible to come off the disabled list on July 23. 

Despite fantasy baseball owners only missing their starting first baseman for a week, it comes at a crucial time in the season.

With week 15 shortened due to the All-Star break, head-to-head owners were hoping Morneau’s stellar first half numbers carried over into the shortened week, to cash in on a quick head-to-head victory.

Morneau currently leads the majors in on-base percentage (.437), is second to Miguel Cabrera (.346) with a .345 batting average, has blasted 18 homers, and has driven in 56 runs.

For those managers who don’t have a player to fill the void left by Morneau over the course of the next week, check out these potentially available first basemen in mixed leagues of 10 teams or more..

Begin Slideshow

Originally posted at The Bravesologist

Lineup: 

The Braves lineup is markedly better than most projected to start the season. Certain players have stepped their game up tremendously. The offense has prospered despite a lack of production from others. Baseball is an odd sport. Some years players produce numbers far better than expected while others perform poorly and seemed destined to be non-tendered. Here is the report card for the lineup.

Martin Prado: A

.325 AVG, .367 OBP, .484 SLG, .851 OPS, 10 HR, 25 2B, 2 3B, 16.8 bRAA, 115 wOBA+

Martin has had an unbelievable first half this season and has been one of thebiggest keys to the Braves great first half. Prado’s ability to get hit after hit and put himself into scoring position over 35 times has ignited this offense. What’s funny about it all is that Prado has really just done what he has always done. His wOBA+ for the past three years is 112, 115, and 112, right along pace with his current 115 mark.

Jason Heyward: A-

.251 AVG, .366 OBP, .455 SLG, .821 OPS, 11 HR, 13 2B, 3 3B, 16.7 bRAA, 120 wOBA+

Before Jason’s thumb injury he was a legitimate MVP candidate. His OPS was near the top of the league and his memorable late inning hits were crucial as the Braves moved up in the standings. His plate patience has been incredible, walking 42 times in just 303 plate appearances. He has an isoOBP over .100 and an isoSLG over .200. I fully expect Heyward to bounce back to form once he returns from the DL.

Troy Glaus: B+

.254 AVG, .361 OBP, .441 SLG, .802 OPS, 14 HR, 13 2B, 12.1 bRAA, 112 wOBA+

Glaus has been the power right-handed bat that many were hoping to get in trade this offseason. With Javier Vazquez or Derek Lowe being expendable, a big right-handed left fielder or first basemen seemed attainable. The Braves ended up trading Vazquez for Melky Cabrera and prospects, but the Glaus signing has turned into one of the best value picks of the offseason across the Majors. He has had some big clutch hits including a game-tying home run against the Philadelphia Phillies and a walk-off home run against the Kansas City Royals. Glaus has stayed relatively healthy as well, which was one of the big questions heading into the season.

Brian McCann: B

.267 AVG, .380 OBP, .447 SLG, .827 OPS, 10 HR, 16 2B, 10.9 bRAA, 113 wOBA+

Brian has had better seasons in the past, but he has increased his patience and is continuing to be one of the top hitting catchers in all of baseball. He is only 15 walks away from surpassing his career high as he has 42 already this season. McCann and Glaus have made for a great cleanup platoon and have been fortunate to have guys like Prado, Heyward, and Chipper Jones getting on base regularly in front of them.

Chipper Jones: C+

.252 AVG, .378 OBP, .393 SLG, .771 OPS, 6 HR, 16 2B, 4.8 bRAA, 106 wOBA+

Chipper has had an odd couple of months at the plate. The first two months he was getting on base at a very high rate but not hitting for much power. Over the past month and a half, Chipper has had a lower on base but is hitting more doubles and homers. He could definitely be performing better, but at his age I believe this is what you can expect out of him.

Melky Cabrera: D

.259 AVG, .316 OBP, .348 SLG, 3 HR, 13 2B, 1 3B, -4.0 bRAA, 95 wOBA+

Melky hasn’t been very productive this season at all. He has had some spurts of success, including a go-ahead home run against the New York Mets last weekend, but for the most part he has struggled. He’s on pace for a similar amount of plate appearances as last year and his numbers are down across the board. He’s played close to every day due to his ability to switch hit and play all three outfield spots but he will likely see his role reduced again when Heyward returns.

Yunel Escobar: F

.238 AVG, .334 OBP, .284 SLG, .618 OPS, 0 HR, 12 2B, -8.9 bRAA, 90 wOBA+

Yunel has seen a dramatic decrease in his production this season and has been close to worthless offensively. He has walked a good amount, as usual, and has kept his strikeouts down, but he has hit for close to no power and his on base has suffered due to a low batting average. He has put himself into scoring position just 17 times and he is staring at a career low fly ball percentage.

Nate McLouth: F

.176 AVG, .295 OBP, .282 SLG, .577 OPS, 3 HR, 9 2B, -9.2 wOBA, 84 wOBA+

Much like Escobar, McLouth has done nothing offensively this year when many expected him to improve. He was better than average last year with the Braves despite popular belief, but he has done nothing offensively aside from one walk-off win this year. The concussion he received against the Diamondbacks was unfortunate, but time off may have been the best thing for him at the time. Hopefully he can return to being at least a decent center fielder when he comes off the DL.

Overall Grade: B+

The reason for the grade is the expectancy. Currently, the Braves are sixth in runs in the NL but many believed pre-season that limited offensive production would be their downfall. Prado, Heyward, and Glaus have been incredible and McCann has done his job, which has made for a very formidable top of the lineup. The improved plate discipline across the lineup is one of the biggest reasons for this team being in first place.

Rotation:

The Braves rotation has been a reason for their success midway through the season. Having five reliable starters is an asset that many teams overlook. The majority of teams slot their starters one through five and have top heavy rotations, but the Braves have done it differently the past two years.

The performances of the starters have taken pressure off of the bullpen and bats. Here are the first half grades for the six starting pitchers.

Tommy Hanson: A-

102.3 IP, 104 K, 34 BB, 3.35 FIP, 16.9 kS%, 12.4 pRAA, 123 tRA+

Tommy is the ace of this staff and has thrown the ball better than he did last season. His strikeouts and walks are actually up while his ERA and WHIP have suffered. The raise in those two almost meaningless statistics is due to his BABIP being the highest in the NL and second highest in the majors at .349. There is really no doubt that Tommy is the best pitcher on this staff — please don’t let the publicized stats make you think differently.

Tim Hudson: B

121.1 IP, 61 K, 43 BB, 4.32 FIP, 11.0 kS%, 5.9 pRAA, 110 tRA+

Hudson has been fortunate on batted balls, posting the lowest BABIP in the NL at .232. He hasn’t pitched nearly as well as his publicized numbers would have you suggest. The defense has played well behind him and he has been able to be successful despite having lower strikeout and higher walk totals than he is used to. His ground ball skills may be a reason for his low BABIP, but even if you factor that in, it’s not enough to explain it being such an absurdly low number. Hudson will either regress or pitch better in the second half to keep his numbers down.

Kris Medlen: B-

68.2 IP, 47 K, 13 BB, 4.38 FIP, 14.9 kS%, -4.4 pRAA, 87 tRA+

Medlen hasn’t been as great as a starter as many would believe, but he has still been pretty solid. Despite his overall numbers as a starter, he has posted a 3.83 xFIP and a 3.78 xFIP in June and July respectively. His overall FIP as a starter is pretty high due to his mark being 5.40 this month, but when you normalize the home run to fly ball ratio you can see he is actually pitching better than the aforementioned numbers would suggest. He doesn’t walk many batters and if he can continue to pound the strike zone he will have success.

Kenshin Kawakami: C

82.1 IP, 57 K, 28 BB, 4.29 FIP, 11.3 kS%, -3.8 pRAA, 91 tRA+

Kenshin was removed from the rotation, but he has had a similar season to Derek Lowe. Lowe’s perception as a consistent innings eater combined with his lofty contract and name factor are why Kawakami was moved to the bullpen and Lowe was never even an option. Kenshin hasn’t been great, he’s been below average, but he has posted a 4.35 xFIP in May and June. He’s better than his face stats suggest.

Derek Lowe: C

113.2 IP, 70 K, 44 BB, 4.24 FIP, 12.1 kS%, -4.7 pRAA, 92 tRA+

Lowe is not worthy of his contract, but as a back-end starter he is successful. He throws a ton of innings and keeps the team in ball games. It’s certainly better than the Kyle Davies of the world that the Braves have dealt with in previous seasons. As I mentioned in the introduction, the Braves have five starters who are solid and Lowe, despite his poor performance since joining the Braves, is no different.

Jair Jurrjens: D+

35.0 IP, 25 K, 16 BB, 4.71 FIP, 15.2 kS%, -1.8 pRAA, 90 tRA+

Jair’s injury kept him out for a majority of the year but when he has pitched he hasn’t been very good. It seems as though his leg injury may have been a product of his spring arm injury and that he was never fully healthy when he was pitching in the beginning of the season. It’s a reasonable argument and he has pitched well in the first two starts since returning. Regardless, he hasn’t helped the team as was expected. You can’t blame him for the injuries, but the injuries hurt his production and overall numbers.

Overall Grade: B

The rotation for the most part has been strong. It hasn’t been the dominant force it was last year, mostly due to Jurrjen’s injury and the loss of Javier Vazquez. Medlen’s and Jurrjen’s stats are a smaller sample size and they should improve. Medlen’s numbers as a reliever would suggest that he is better than his line currently states. Look for the rotation to continue to succeed. More specifically, look for Tommy Hanson to have a great second half.

You can find more from Ben at The Bravesologist, Talking Chop, Roto Experts, or on his twitter @Ben_Duronio

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Atlanta Braves have won 16 of their 50+ wins this season in their last at-bat, and a number of those have been dramatic walk-off wins.

This is an ongoing chronicle of those wins, with video from MLB.com

Please check back as the season progresses.

Begin Slideshow

Former Braves Return to Atlanta for Three Game Series

Former Braves coach Ned Yost and former Braves players Bruce Chen, Kyle Davies, Kyle Farnsworth, and Wilson Betemit returned to Atlanta for a three game series at Turner Field.

Yost, now the manager of the Kansas City Royals, served on the Braves coaching staff from 1991 to 1998 as the bullpen coach and from 1999 to 2002 as the first base coach.

Chen spent most of his first three seasons in the majors with the Braves from 1998 to 2000. While in Atlanta, Chen appeared in 44 games (11 starts) and went 8-2 with a 4.13 ERA.

Kyle Davies was a product of the Braves farm system and pitched in Atlanta from 2005 to 2007. In two plus seasons with the Braves, Davies started 45 games and compiled a record of 13-22 before being traded to Kansas City in July of 2007.

After spending his first six seasons with the Cubs, reliever Kyle Farnsworth split the 2005 season between the Tigers and Braves. In Atlanta, Farnsworth went 0-0 and registered 10 saves in 26 games with a 1.98 ERA. His strikeout/walk ratio was 4.57 and he had an impressive .805 WHIP.

Because Betemit plays third base, his playing time was sporadic because the Braves already had a full-time third baseman in Chipper Jones. From 2001 to 2006, Betemit appeared in 233 games with Atlanta. He hit .281 in 495 at-bats, scored 69 runs, hit 13 home runs, and had 52 RBI before being traded to the Dodgers in 2006.

It was nice to see these familiar faces back at Turner Field even though they were now sporting Royal blue. I’m sure it was nice for them to return and reunite with some of their old Atlanta teammates as well.

Then they started to play baseball.

Game One

In the first game of the series, the Braves beat Kansas City 6-4 behind a quality start from Derek Lowe, who also helped himself out with the bat by driving in two runs.

Struggling Chipper Jones had a hit, a walk, and drove in two runs. Melky Cabrera went 3-4, scored two runs, and drove in another.

Jose Guillen of the Royals recorded a hit to extend his hitting-streak to 13 games. Billy Butler, who idolized Chipper Jones growing up, hit his seventh home run of the season off of Lowe in the fourth inning.

Game Two

The Braves won the second game of the series 5-4 on a Troy Glaus walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Braves’ Kris Medlen battled stumbling Royals ace Zack Greinke pitch-for-pitch, and he left the game in the sixth inning with a chance to earn the win. However, the bullpen would blow the lead and Medlen would have to settle for a no-decision.

After the Royals tied the game in the seventh, Venters pitched a perfect eighth inning. Billy Wagner would follow with a perfect top of the ninth become the pitcher of record and earn the win. He improved his record to 5-0 with a 1.27 ERA in addition to his 14 saves.

The Royals’ Scott Podsednik and Jason Kendell each had two RBI, Mike Aviles and Yunieski Betancourt each scored twice, and Jose Guillen extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

Zack Greinke went seven innings, gave up four runs (three earned), and struck out five Braves in a no-decision.

Last year’s A.L. Cy Young winner is just 2-8 with a 3.94 ERA through 15 starts this season.

Game Three

Former Brave Kyle Davies took the mound for the Royals as they tried to avoid a sweep. However he struggled with his control and lasted only 4.1 innings. He gave up four runs on four hits, walked seven batters, and struck out six.

Strangely, Davies fared better than Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami who lasted only two innings. He gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits and only struck out one Royal.

However, the Braves bullpen pitched seven innings of shut-out baseball, and the Braves offense was able to come through again to earn the 8-5 victory and a series sweep.

Chipper Jones went 2-3 with two doubles and three RBI. He also raised his batting average to .250 in the process. Jones is on a small five game hitting streak with five runs, seven RBI, and a .471 batting average in that stretch.

Jose Guillen extended his hitting-streak to a career best 15 games in the losing effort as he recorded two hits, two runs, and one RBI in five plate appearances.

Thoughts on the series

This was certainly not the result Ned Yost and company had hoped for. The Royals are now 29-41 on the season and are 11.5 games behind Minnesota in the A.L. Central. They’ll try to rebound as they travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Nationals on Monday.

On the positive side for Kansas City, they were able to score an average of more than four runs per game, and they’re not swinging the bats all that poorly.

With the sweep, Atlanta has now won five straight and have increased their lead in the division to 2.5 games.

This marks the 13th consecutive series the Braves have won this season. Bobby Cox has preached the importance of winning series for the last 20 years, and the Braves are doing just that.

The Braves are winning games with their hitting and pitching, and they’re firing on all cylinders.

Troy Glaus continues to swing a hot bat, Martin Prado already has 101 hits this season, and Chipper Jones looks like he may be heating up.

Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe are anchoring the starting rotation and Billy Wagner has been outstanding as the Braves closer this season. The Braves reemphasis on pitching seems to be paying dividends.

It’s always good to see former Braves come back to Turner Field, and it’s even better to be on the winning end.

Does anyone think Ned Yost might make another return to Turner Field as Braves Manager in 2011 replacing Bobby Cox?

It could happen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When the Atlanta Braves signed Troy Glaus this past offseason, they hoped for an offensive spark that has been lacking at first base in recent years; they got much more than they bargained for. 

Glaus has been stellar this year, and last night was no exception.  Glaus hit a home run off Robinson Tejada on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 5-4 victory over the tough-luck Royals Saturday night.

Glaus went 1-4 in the game, his homer being his only hit, and Brian McCann also homered to run the Braves’ winning streak to four games and send their home record to 23-7.  Billy Wagner worked the ninth to earn the win.

The Royals, under skipper Ned Yost, still struggle to compete in a mediocre AL Central.  Yost, who served as the Braves third base coach, bench coach, and bullpen coach during the 1990s, was hired to give the team a bit of a boost.  The boost hasn’t found its way to the diamond, and the Royals fell to 29-40 on the year, fourth place in the AL Central ahead of a lackadaisical Cleveland Indians club still holding out hope for Travis Hafner to return to his power days.

The Royals have some good players, such as Scott Podsednik and Jose Guillen, but just can’t seem to keep it together.

The Braves, whose win on Saturday pushed their lead to 1 1/2 games over the surging New York Mets, are trying to bring a championship to Atlanta; they last won it all in 1995.  Manager Bobby Cox is retiring at season’s end, giving the Braves tremendous motivation to win a ring.

Saturday’s game showed a typical example of what the Braves are doing right this year.  This team is clutch, with guys like Martin Prado (.310 with runners in scoring position and two outs), Troy Glaus (.424 with RISP and two outs), Eric Hinske (.357 with RISP and two outs), and Jason Heyward (.353 with RISP and 2 outs) leading the way.

This team does extremely well rallying with two outs and finds ways to win late in the game.  This tortoise out of the gate turns into the rabbit at the finish line, owners of the third best record in the majors and the best record in the National League.  Happy days are here again in Atlanta; can these Braves keep it up?  All signs point to yes.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If the recent news and rumors turn out to be true, the Braves have a big question on their hands—who is the Braves’ everyday third baseman after 2010 (or perhaps the rest of this season)?

It’s not a simple question to answer.

Third base is the one position the Braves do not have a long-term solution for. The face of the franchise will be Jason Heyward, who is primed to be in right field and in the heart of the Braves order for years to come.

Despite a rough start to for Yunel Escobar, he and Martin Prado form a solid, if not spectacular at times, combination at the middle of the diamond.

The Braves are flush with veterans and youngsters for their starting rotation, and have the enviable position of having 6 starters right now, with Kris Medlen seemingly supplanting Kenshin Kawakami as the best starter outside the trio of Lowe, Hudson and Hanson.

With rookies Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel making their debuts in the majors this season, the bullpen seems solid for the future when you also consider that Peter Moylan and Eric O’Flaherty have been effective and conceivably have their best years ahead of them.

Brian McCann is the NL’s best catcher and Troy Glaus is having a renaissance season since switching to first. Even if he’s not the long-term solution at first, Freddie Freeman is waiting in the wings.

Who’s on first? Glaus or Freeman.

What’s the name of the guy on second? Prado, an All-Star.

Third base? I don’t know.

Chipper Jones is there for now, but for now could mean a few days, a few weeks, or a few months.

Who do the Braves have on their roster who could play third? There are more than a few options.

TROY GLAUS:

Glaus made several All-Star teams and was named World Series MVP while playing third base. However, I think most might agree that part of the reason his bat has thunder in it is because he has less wear and tear defensively playing first base.

ERIC HINSKE:

Most would consider Hinske’s days of being an everyday player over, especially given his struggles hitting lefties. He’s been productive in a platoon role and won AL Rookie of the Year in 2002 with the Blue Jays. However, few, if any in the Braves organization, see Hinske as anything more than a role/bench player, a role he has played very well this season.

OMAR INFANTE:

Considering the undersized utility infielder’s size, he’s not your prototypical power hitting third baseman. However, he’s been very productive, still in his prime at 28 years old, and as recently as a week ago, was hitting a robust .328 with 16 RBIs. He’s a solid player, who could be more than just a super-utility guy that the Braves love to plug in at short, second, third or in the outfield.

BROOKS CONRAD:

The 30-year old version of Crash Davis has been waiting for his opportunity for a long time and this may be it. He’s got some pop in his bat for someone standing 5’11” and weighing only 180lbs—as evidenced by his opposite field pinch-hit grand slam against the Reds last month. The Braves right now don’t need Conrad to be a 2nd or 3rd place hitter in their lineup, and being a switch-hitter gives him an advantage over others that he wouldn’t necessarily have to be part of a platoon.

BRANDON HICKS:

While he’s been playing shortstop for a few years, some in the Braves organization hoped the 6’2″, 200 lb glove wizard would have gain some offensive skills. While he’s progressed to AAA, he’s only hitting .211, and his track record doesn’t indicate that he’d be much of an offensive threat in the majors.

DONELL LINARES:

Currently playing with AA Mississippi, he’s probably a name most Braves fans have never heard of. He’s not considered a high-ceiling prospect, isn’t on the Braves’ 40-man roster, and is already 26 years old. However, he was signed as a free agent in June 2008, and only had 79 at-bats at Low A ball in 2008. In 2009 with Myrtle Beach (not a hitter-friendly park) his .287/.328/.444 line (.772 OPS) with 15 HR, 32 doubles and 87 RBIs in 130 games and 505 at bats was decent. The ceiling isn’t very high on Linares, and he still likely needs another year in the minors. At Mississippi, he’s currently hitting .259 with 8 HR and 29 RBIs.

TY WIGGINTON:

He’s not flashy or the first person you’d think of as the Braves’ third baseman, however there are plenty of reasons to think that for this year and possibly a few more to follow, Wigginton is a possible solution until the Braves figure out who they can convert or develop to play 3rd base at the major league level for a long time.

Looking at Wigginton’s career stats—nothing jumps out at you. He’s currently in the midst of a fantastic season with .273/.358/.495, 13 HR and 38 RBIs on a terrible Orioles team, and he’s affordable, with a current salary of $3.5M for 2010. Every full season of his career, the 32 year-old journeyman (Mets, Pirates, Rays, Astros, Orioles) has hit between .258 and .284, and his 162 game averages are 22 HR and 77 RBIs. Considering Chipper Jones got paid $14M for numbers that were no better last year, he is a viable option. The bigger question is however, what would the Braves have to give up to get him.

Would a package of Jo-Jo Reyes, Jordan Schafer and another prospect bring Wigginton to the Atlanta? I know the Orioles need to rebuild and don’t have the talent in their system.

How would the Braves lineup look if the Braves could pull of the trade. Perhaps

2B – Martin Prado

3B – Ty Wigginton or SS Yunel Escobar

RF – Jason Heyward

1B – Troy Glaus

C – Brian McCann

SS – Yunel Escobar or Ty Wigginton

LF – Eric Hinske/Matt Diaz

CF – Melky Cabrera/Nate McLouth

OTHER OPTIONS:

Replacing a Hall of Fame third baseman is no easy task. The Braves could explore other trade options and perhaps target a AA/AAA third baseman in another team’s farm system who has some depth at that position. Who knows what the farm systems of the Yankees, Mets, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays or Rangers are hiding; teams who have answers at the hot corner with All-Star caliber players and no foreseeable need for major offensive help at the time.

Regardless, I’m sure Frank Wren and John Scheurholz are channeling Abbott and Costello to figure out the solution to that riddle.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s been a while since Atlanta Braves fans have had much to cheer about. Long gone are the days of Maddox, Glavine, and Smoltz. The Jones boys broke up after 2007. The streak of 14 consecutive NL East Championships ended five seasons ago. The 1995 World Series is but a distant memory.

We all knew that their reign atop the NL East couldn’t last forever. Still, it’s been hard to watch the Bravos struggle through four seasons of mediocrity while the Phillies have won three straight division titles and have been to back-to-back World Series— winning it in 2008.

Granted, the Braves’ misfortunes pale in comparison to… the Chicago Cubs.

As they say, “There’s always next year.” This year, my friends, is that year.

The Braves are 37-27 and in first place in the NL East. They’re on pace to go 94-68— the most wins since they went 96-66 in 2004. It would also be the first time the Braves won more than 90 games since the division titles streak ended in 2005.

Why have the Braves been able to turn it around so far this season?

It’s easy to say that it’s been a team effort, and that’s true. However, I’ve identified five Braves who deserve a little extra attention for their contributions in 2010.

Let’s start with…

Begin Slideshow

Coming into the 2010 season, the Braves had two players who hoped to enter the Comeback Player of the Year race.

Tim Hudson missed the majority of the 2009 season after Tommy John surgery, and many wondered whether the Braves would resign him, as doing so would mean trading either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez.

In his late-season appearances, Hudson convinced the Braves that he was worth re-signing, and the team eventually traded away Vazquez (after failing to trade Lowe) in order to stay within the budget.

Looking for a big, right-handed bat, the Braves turned to former slugger Troy Glaus, who also missed the majority of the 2009 season.

After battling through injuries, Glaus had a great 2008 before getting hurt again. Needing a first baseman to bridge the gap to Freddie Freeman, the Braves took a chance on Glaus and brought him in to be a much-needed power bat.

Thus far in the season, Hudson is among the NL leaders with a 2.43 ERA, and Glaus is tied for the NL lead with 46 RBI.

With stats like that, both Hudson and Glaus are in the race for Comeback Player of the Year, but which one will finish the year with the better season?

Tim Hudson:

2010 Stats: 6-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 0.8 WAR, 85.1 IP, 36:30 K/BB

Underlying Stats: .235 BABIP, 83.3% strand rate, 4.35 FIP, 4.42 xFIP

ZIPS Rest of Season Projection: 5-4, 4.06 ERA in 14 starts

ZIPS Updated Full Season Projection: 11-6, 3.23 ERA

Troy Glaus

2010 Stats: .279/.375/.474 11 HR, 46 RBI, 0.9 WAR

Underlying Stats: .320 BABIP

ZIPS Rest of Season Projection: .260/.363/.449 11 HR, 45 RBI

ZIPS Updated Full Season Projection: .269/.369/.462 22 HR, 91 RBI

The underlying stats show that both players have been lucky so far this season, Hudson more so than Glaus.

As a sinkerball pitcher, Hudson is expected to have an ERA below his FIP, but not two full runs lower. Both his BABIP and strand rate have been extremely fortunate, and he hasn’t shown any ability to miss bats consistently.

Despite everything that has been said, if Hudson finished the season with a 3.23 ERA, he will have surpassed most of the expectations on him coming into the season.

What makes Glaus’ start so impressive is that he couldn’t do anything right in April. On the year, he has a somewhat fortunate BABIP, but his batting average shouldn’t sink too much over the course of the season.

What has stood out the most for Glaus is the number of RBI he has put up. With Martin Prado and Jason Heyward both getting on base at the top of the lineup, he should continue to drive in runs, and might exceed the 91 RBI that ZIPS projects him to have.

Overall, I would have to say Hudson has the better chance of winning the award. Although he is likely to regress more, he has been far more outstanding in the early season.

If both players finished with their ZIPS updated projections, I would definitely choose Hudson.

Even if Glaus exceeds his projection in RBI (and maybe hit a couple more homers), I would still take Hudson with a 3.23 ERA.

This article is also featured on Tomahawk Talk

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com