As Requested – MLB Round-up: Opening Day – 4/17/12

Hello again baseball fans. As we look out now, we see it’s been about two full weeks of the 2012 baseball season. There have been many surprises along the first dozen or so games, as well as some early season presumptions that seem to be accurate. The beauty of the early part of the season is that with everything/one still cranking up, no one can really put a finger on what early season success or futility actually means. For example, Albert Pujols has zero home runs in his new Angels uniform. No one expects that trend to last. Conversely, Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, as of the end of the Brewers series, is hitting .345 with two homers and driven in five men. Those are very good numbers but I don’t think he’ll hit .345 all season long, even though that’d be great.

Some other surprising notes are the Dodgers dominance. They are world-beaters right now. At the end of their first 10 games, they only lost one of them. Center fielder Matt Kemp is playing baseball like he’s in a video game with a slash line of .487/.523/1.026 which is pure insanity. The St. Louis Cardinals are not missing their slugger at all it seems. The loss of Albert Pujols to the Angels has not slowed down this hot team, fresh off the heels of receiving their 2011 World Series rings this week. Most would say they are one of the two best teams in the league.

There are some things we figured going into this season that seem to be on track. The Tigers are going to mash all season long with 1B Price Fielder and 3B Miguel Cabrera in the middle of an already good line up and dominant starting pitching lead by 2011 reigning AL Cy Young and MVP winner, Justin Verlander. Also, the Phillies are going to continue to struggle to score runs a good bit as the season moves on. The loss of second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard for the first part of the season has confirmed what I thought would be the case. They are an old and relatively shallow ball club. Pitching will have to carry them as they continue to struggle to score runs. With the right side of the Phillies infield return time still up in the air, it’ll be fun to watch them struggle to put crooked numbers on the board.

Most importantly, our Atlanta Braves. The first four games of this season was the single worst start since the 1988 Braves started 0-4 (and were 0-10 before their first win). I, along with a large number or fans, was embarrassed at the sweep of our team by the hated Mets. On top of that, dropping a fourth in a row to the lowly Astros seemed to just be too much to bear. Considering the way we ended last season, losing 20 of 30 to miss the playoffs by one game, it appeared as if nothing had changed. Of course, the old man, Chipper Jones would not allow this to happen. He, in his final season of his career, has already had some great moments. Hitting a two-run shot in his first game back in Houston while playing amazing defense, off of a surgically repaired knee that was worked on three weeks prior, reminds us all how great of a ball player he actually is. The Braves went on to take the final two games from the Astros and complete the sweep against the Brewers at home to open Turner Field for the Braves faithful. Large crowds attended booing Ryan Braun for his involvement in the banned substance scandal and chopping those tomahawks so loud it’s all you could hear. There were so many great signs that we saw in the first series at home, Jason Heyward dominating, Chipper’s comeback homerun Sunday after missing the first two games, starting pitchers Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy going at least 7 innings, and timely hitting. The start of our second series against the Mets proved to be too much for Tommy Hanson as a hanging curve to Ike Davis, Met’s 1B, he deposited into the right field seats in game one undid him in a 6-1 loss. However, in game 2, the Braves brought out the hammer and trounced Johan Santana 9-3. Santana was chased after just recording four outs, his shortest start of his career.

After the evening up the three-game set with the Mets in the fourth series of the year, the Braves ended up with a winning record, 6-5 (as of Wednesday morning). Most fans have backed off the ledge and are now starting to take a deep breath and be reminded that this is a baseball season; you’re going to lose a fair number of games no matter what.

I look forward to watching our boys of summer as the weather gets hotter and the kids get out of school. So as always, dear reader, pray for pitching, be proud of the tomahawk chop, and if you need a smile, just remember when Sid slid.

Heyward’s Struggles and Did You Know

I had hoped to write this article about the resurgence of Jason Heyward and how his return to the lineup has improved a languid Braves offense. Unfortunately, Heyward has only shown glimpses of his offensive prowess, with no consistency whatsoever.

Is a lingering injury still causing the lack of production? Does he just need time to readjust? I have no idea what is causing his lack of production, though I will show the statistics that point out how his approach has differed from last year and how that affects his offensive ability greatly. In addition, I will provide a “did you know” type fact on eleven players. Please note that all statistics are through June 28.

Let’s starts with Jason Heyward. Heyward has apparently forgotten how to hit baseballs into the air. If you see just a few of his games, you know it seems that a majority of the balls he makes contact with end up rolling to the second baseman for an easy 4-3. Take a look at his spray chart for the year.

There are two pressing issues demonstrated by the spray chart, in addition to the glaring number of balls hit for outs to the right side. The first issue is the significant number of balls that do not leave the infield. This is evidenced by one unbelievable statistic. Heyward’s infield fly ball percentage (IFFB%) is an astounding 20.5% compared to last year’s 8.4%. One-fifth of the balls Heyward puts into play are fly balls in the infield. Think about how ridiculous that statistic is? It is no wonder he has played so poorly thus far.

The second issue is Heyward’s inability to hit towards left field. A majority of his hits have been to center or right fields, which indicates he is pulling the ball (hello 4-3). I am not entirely sure if his injuries have caused him to change his swing or his approach at the plate or what exactly. I am dubious of Larry Parrish’s ability to correct the issue.

The chart does not fully identify a few other disturbing trends. Heyward’s line drive percentage (LD%) has dropped form 17.8% last year to 13.3% this year. A line drive has a greater probability of turning into a hit than either a ground ball or fly ball. In regards to ground balls, which he has hit so frequently, his BABIP is .265 compared to .335 last year. Some people will contribute this to “luck.” I contribute it to teams adjusting to Heyward’s tendency to pull the ball with defensive shifts.

Heyward’s discipline at the plate has been up and down. He is more aggressive, which I doubt is a positive for him right now. Heyward is swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone 28.7% of the time compared to 24.2% last year, while swinging at 67% inside the strike zone compared to 58% last year. Overall, he is swinging at 44.5% of all pitches up from 39.4% last year. This increases likelihood of contact on bad pitches, though his contact rate has dropped from 79.1% to 75.5%, which means more swinging strikes.This aggressiveness could stem from adjustments (Parrish’s doings?), pressing, if he is still injured or who knows what.

There is one positive. Heyward’s strikeout perctange (K%) has remained similar, while his walk percentage (BB%) declines slightly, but is not significant enough to elevate itself to a reason for his struggles in 2011.

I am hopeful that Heyward is just adjusting back to his swing from last year after dealing with the nagging injuries from this year. It will be interesting to see over the next few weeks how he performs. I believe the All-Star break will give him so time to rest, adjust and come back swinging a more consistent bat. He has shown glimpses of it lately, so I assume with a break, he will be able to further focus on adjustments.

Did You Know?

Below is an interesting (I think) tidbit about each of the regular eight hitters, minus Heyward, plus Brooks Conrad, Jordan Schafer, Eric Hinkse and David Ross. The rankings I use are based only on those eleven, plus Heyward.

Brian McCann: He is leading the Braves with a fWAR of 3.2. Prado is second with a 1.7. Speaking of…

Martin Prado: Prado’s strikeout percentage is 11.7% (K%), which is the lowest of the twelve. Making contact does contribute to his team-leading GIDPs.

Alex Gonzalez: He has the most plate appearances by anyone with 312, which makes his BB% of 4.2 (the lowest on the team) even more frustrating.

David Ross: He has a wOBA of .399 and an ISO of .212. Yes, the Braves should be using him to pinch hit more.

Eric Hinske: In only 167 plate appearances, Hinske has eight homeruns.

Jordan Schafer: The Braves lead-off hitter has an OBP of .299 which is the third lowest.

Brooks Conrad: A team-high 40.4 K%, but a healthy ISO of .255. It is either a homerun or a strikeout for the “Raw Dog”.

Nate McLouth: He has an OBP of .339 which is second (for a starter) to McCann’s. And somehow he is still batting eighth or ninth.

Freddie Freeman: He has a BABIP of .327, second only to McCann’s .330. Neither of which do I believe are sustainable.

Dan Uggla: On the reverse end of the BABIP spectrum, Uggla has a BABIP of .188. Grounding balls into the dirt at every at-bat is not helping him break out of his half-of-a-season slump.

I will leave everyone with this question. There has been plenty of talk around about trading Jair Jurrjens. What do you think? Would a Jurrjens for Curtis Granderson trade be alright with you or is there some attachement to Jurrjens that the Braves should continue to pursue?

What to Do in the Outfield?

The Braves outfield, in a word, is in disarray. With Jason Heyward returning on Wednesday, the outfield now has one opening-day starter roaming the Turner Field grass. For the most part, it seems the reserves have underperformed the starters, but how true is that statement? While answering that question, I’ll also provide an answer for the question that everyone seems to asking; who will be starting in center field once Nate McLouth returns?

The chart below will be used throughout the rest of the article. The following definitions are a quick refresh:

PA – Plate appearances
wOBA – Weighted on-base average
wRC+ – Weighted runs created
Bsr – Baserunning; Ultimate Base Running statistic used by Fangraphs
Spd – “…Stolen Base Percentage, Frequency of Stolen Base Attempts, Percentage of Triples, and Runs Scored Percentage.” (Source)
fWAR – Fangraphs wins above replacement

*Data used from Fangraphs and is through the game on June 15, 2011.

Let’s start with a positive. The left fielders in the Braves organization have done well this far into the season. The majority of the time in left field has been split between Prado and Hinske, with fWAR of 2.4, which ranks fourth in the MLB. However, right fielders and center fielders have a fWAR of 0.8 which ranks twenty-first and twenty-second, respectively in the MLB. The total of 3.3 fWAR for the entire outfield ranks seventeenth.

It is no surprise that the outfield has performed poorly. It was never going to be a strength of this Braves team. But what lineup would be the best of the current crop of players?

Left field is Prado’s once he returns from the disabled list (assuming he is not playing third base). He has played well and there is no reason to think that he would not when he returns. Eric Hinske has been the main reserve to replace Prado. Hinske has played adequately in left, but still quite a ways from Prado.

Right field has been barren ground for the Braves this year. Heyward has struggled through injuries, but one assumes he’ll return to form after a few games of being reacquainted with the diamond. Right field reserves have consisted mainly of Hinske and Mather. Hinske has played as a replacement-level player in right. He does not have the range or arm strength to be a significant contributor. Where does one being with Joe Mather, who is playing below a replacement-level player? I am still not entirely sure why he is still on the roster. If Heyward spends more significant time on the disabled list, someone else must be brought in to play right field.

Now onto the most perplexing situation. Who should play center field? Neither McLouth nor Schafer have played particularly well. Assuming Frank Wren does not make an acquisition of another outfielder, which one should Atlanta utilize?

I, falsely, hypothesized that the answer would be simple and straight-forward. The Braves have made their intentions public that they would like Schafer to spend an entire year in AAA, primarily to see how he develops through an (hopefully) injury-free year. With McLouth’s disabled-list stint, Schafer was brought in to fill the void. If you ask most casual Braves observers, they will, more than likely, praise Schafer on his speed, his defense and his new approach at the plate. Without a doubt, they will say he should still be roaming center field after McLouth’s rehab games are completed.

I do not believe this should be the case. Yes, Schafer has a higher fWAR (mainly because of his defensive prowess), but he is lower than McClouth in wRC+ and wOBA. The Braves’ defense is quite alright if we are deciding on whether we need more offensive output or defense output at the moment. Runs need to be scored.  Furthermore, I am wary of Schafer’s new approach at the plate. His low strikeout ratio and high walk ratio are not sustainable for the course of the season.

By default, I end up with the conclusion that Nate McLouth should continue to play center field. This allows for Schafer to continue to develop in AAA, which would hopefully aid in fielding a team for next season. McLouth’s positive will be creating more runs than Schafer for the Braves. I do not think the defensive differences are significant enough to voice support in having Schafer start over McLouth. Are the Braves going to send down another high-profile, highly-paid player to AAA?

Having McLouth in center field is not desirable or ideal, but it is the best option at the moment until Frank Wren decides he would like to add another person to the mix.

As a side note, I’d like to recommend a book this week, and maybe more books in weeks to come. I just finished re-reading Moneyball by Michael Lewis and it is a better book with every read. It’s a great look at the Oakland A’s and Billy Beane. Coincidentally enough, the trailer for the movie coming out in September hit the internet on Thursday. Check it out if you have not seen it already.

Thoughts As The Braves Head West

Following a disappointing home stand, the Braves now head west for a ten game road trip against the Dodgers, Giants, and Padres. One run games are something to keep an eye on during this stretch as the Braves are 1-4 in such contests. A team this good with an elite bullpen should end at least .500 in one run ballgames (last year’s team went 23-22); let’s hope this starts to turn around soon. In the meantime here are some other observations to keep an eye on this road trip.

Chipper Jones is an Ageless Wonder

At the risk of jinxing the oft injured third bagger, Chipper is off to a fantastic start at the plate. Through 61 plate appearances he boasts an impressive line of .321/.393/.509, and perhaps more importantly, he has appeared in every game. While his defense looks a little shaky over at the hot corner, if Chipper continues to get on base like he always has the Braves will be thankful he decided to come back.

Jason Heyward is Striking Out Less

The reason Jason didn’t come close to hitting .300 a year ago was his unusually high strikeout rate (24.6%). In 16 games this season it has been a different story with J Hey striking out in only 8 of his 61 plate appearances which is comparable to his minor league rate. This is obviously a promising sign, and if it continues he won’t be batting .240 for long. His ridiculously low .211 BABIP means that he has suffered from some bad luck and “at em’ balls”. Look for his average and OBP to start trending up sooner rather than later.

Pinch Hitters Not Getting it Done

So far on the season, Braves pinch hitters are a combined 0 for 23 with ZERO walks. For you stat heads out there that’s a triple slash line of .000/.000/.000. Considering the fact that pinch hitters often come up in “close and late” situations, this partly explains why the Braves have struggled so far in one run games.

Don’t Start Brooks Conrad Against the Giants

Even though Raw Dog’s most crippling errors were made in Atlanta last October, I would advise Freddi Gonzalez to schedule Dan Uggla’s off day around our series against the defending World Champs. Having Conrad start at second against the Giants would be the equivalent of taking Lieutenant Dan out to a Vietnamese restaurant; you don’t want to risk causing traumatic flashbacks that end in bloodshed.

2011 Atlanta Braves First Impressions

Taking two out of three from the Nats in D.C. may not sound like much, but the Braves are now just 12-18 in Nationals Park since it opened in 2008. And while winning this series means next to nothing in the grand scheme of an 162 game season, it’s nice to see the “Freddi Era” off to a good start (even if he is batting Jason Heyward, the Prince of Princes and he of the .390 OBP variety, sixth). Here are a few thoughts and impressions from the Braves’ opening weekend:

1) Jason Heyward

It was quite a thrill to see him homer in his first at bat yet again, but what should Braves fans expect out of J-Hey in year two? A significant increase in power will not come until he starts hitting more fly balls, but it’s almost impossible to predict if this will happen in 2011. If he continues to hit grounders at an alarmingly high rate (55% last season, 7th highest in MLB), Jason can still improve by striking out less than he did last season. And if his minor league numbers are any indication, this should happen. So while we may not see an increase in power this season, if Jason puts the ball in play more, it will lead to a higher batting average/OBP in 2011.

2) Tommy Hanson

It was frustrating to watch Hanson struggle in his first start, but there is little reason for concern. His fastball velocity was down (91.1 MPH compared to a career average of 92.5), but the weather was poor and caused a delay before the game even started. Look for him to rebound against Milwaukee on Thursday, and even if he doesn’t, don’t panic.

3) Pitching Depth

The news that Jair Jurrjens will miss his first start and head to the DL shouldn’t be too concerning either; the Braves have more than enough depth to cover him in his absence. Mike Minor will fill in for now, but what if another injury happens? While top prospect Julio Teheran may not be considered part of the Major League ready depth just yet, the front office has announced that he will start the season in Gwinnett. Seems like they are trying to keep him awfully close to Turner Field…..or at least closer than Kenshin Kawakami.

The Braves start a four-game series against the Brewers this afternoon before coming home to the home opening series against the Phillies this weekend.

Jason Heyward and Rookie Of The Year

By August 19th it seemed as though Jason Heyward had all but fallen out of contention for NL Rookie of the Year. Although the Braves’ right fielder was still having an impressive season for a twenty year old at that point, several other National League rookies had been better. But in his past twenty-three games, Heyward has hit to the ridiculous tune of .422/.523/.678 and jumped right back into the discussion. And with just eighteen games left to play, only Buster Posey and Jaime Garcia have a realistic chance of winning the award over him.

From a performance efficiency standpoint, it could be argued that Posey has been better than J Hey. Both he and Heyward have nearly identical on-base plus slugging percentages, but Posey has posted his while catching. He also has a higher homerun per plate appearance ratio and batting average (although a significantly worse OBP but “old school” voters may not even consider this). However, Heyward has the advantage of having started the season in the Major Leagues while Posey was not called up until late May. By that time Heyward had already won two consecutive Rookie of the Month awards and was on an absolute tear. This gave him a head start on Posey that has translated into a higher value. While their levels of production are nearly identical, Heyward has played in significantly more games and therefore given more to the Braves than Posey to the Giants.

Comparing Heyward to Garcia, a pitcher, is difficult to do. Garcia, like Heyward, has been in the majors since April and has been very impressive. A 13-7 record and 2.69 ERA make him a strong contender for the award, but peripheral statistics suggest that his ERA has benefited from strong fielding and a little luck. How writers will vote is anyone’s guess, but Heyward has a considerable “hype” advantage. No rookie, with the exception of Strasburg, has been covered by the media more over the course of the season. The final eighteen games may go a long way in deciding who wins the award, but right now my money is on Heyward.

2010 Braves Extreme Values

Having three of the worst players in the National League would seemingly ruin most teams’ chances of making the playoffs, but not the Atlanta Braves’. While three of their opening day starters (four if you include Derek Lowe) have done their best to continue Atlanta’s postseason absence, three others have been amongst the best in the league. Here are six players, three on each end of the spectrum, that have had the greatest impact on the Braves’ season so far.

The Good

1) Brian McCann (4.9 Wins Above Replacement, tied for 6th in NL)

No one seemed too worried after Brian’s OBP dipped to .349 a season ago and with good reason. His eye problems are seemingly a thing of the past as he has produced a triple slash line of .281/.388./.484 so far this season. The plate discipline is back, and most defensive metrics say he has significantly improved his performance behind the plate as well.

2) Martin Prado (4.0 WAR, tied for 16th in NL)

Many Braves fans were happy to see Kelly Johnson go last off-season. While he has bounced back (in a big way) out in Arizona, Prado has all but matched his output in Atlanta. Although his bat looks better at second, he is clearly more comfortable playing third base, the silver lining of Chipper’s injury.

3) Jason Heyward (3.8 WAR, tied for 23rd in NL)

Undoubtedly the single most important upgrade from last year’s team was the promotion of Jason Heyward. The Braves’ right field, despite Matt Diaz’s best efforts, was a disaster last season. Everything totaled, Francoeur, Diaz, and Ryan Church combined for an OPS of .743 at the position. Heyward’s triple slash line of .278/.389/.475, however, has made the Braves forget about all that. Everyone knew he was going to be something special, just not this good this early.

The Bad

1) Troy Glaus (.4 WAR, 9th worst among all qualified NL players)

Troy’s second half has made May a distant memory, and April seem quite vivid. Bad legs seem to have been his undoing, and the Derrek Lee trade spelled the end of any significant playing time. There is a good chance he has started his last game as an Atlanta Brave.

The Ugly

1) Melky Cabrera (-.6 WAR, dead last among all qualified NL players)

Not much to say here. Francoeur plate discipline + softball power + shoddy glove = worse than a replacement level player. If Frank Wren has any sense, and I believe he has lots of it, Melky will be non-tendered this off season.

2) Nate McClouth (-1.3 WAR, dead last among ALL NL players)

He does not even have enough plate appearances to be qualified, yet he still tops the list for the worst offensive player in the National League. Unfortunately, I just wrote about one of his replacements; the other isn’t much better either. Regardless of what level he plays at next season, the Braves are on the hook to pay him $6.5 million. Oh, and they will have to pay another $1.25 million to buy him out for 2012 as well.

Jason Heyward And Groundballs

Here are the play-by-play accounts of Jason Heyward’s at bats Wednesday night courtesy of ESPN.com:

Bottom of 1st: J Heyward grounded into double play.
Bottom of 3rd: J Heyward grounded out to second.
Bottom of 5th: J Heyward grounded out to shortstop.
Bottom of 6th: J Heyward grounded into fielder’s choice to first.
Bottom of 8th: J Heyward grounded out to first.

While viewing this performance from Section 211 at the Ted, it dawned on me that Jason Heyward does in fact hit a lot of groundballs. Thanks to fangraphs.com’s “batted ball” data, I now know that my amateur scouting report was accurate. Of all the balls Heyward has put into play this season, a whopping 55% have been hit on the ground.

Only nine players have hit a higher percentage of groundballs this season, and the list isn’t pretty: (in order) Derek Jeter, Juan Pierre, Elvis Andrus, Michael Bourn, Ichiro, Denard Span, Skip Schumaker, Hunter Pence, Ryan Theriot.

However, none of these players have an OPS even close to Heyward’s current mark of .823. This is likely because of two reasons; the first of which is because Jason has a higher bat speed than any of the aforementioned players. Because of this, his grounders are hit “harder” and have a better chance of making it through holes in the infield. Likewise, his fly balls are hit deeper, increasing their chances of making it over the fence. Secondly, Jason has more plate discipline than anyone on the list as well, meaning that he draws more walks. Fortunately, groundball percentage is about the only thing Jason has in common with others on the list.

Regardless of the fact that he is clearly a better hitter than any of the aforementioned players, this is not a list that Jason wants to be on. Pitchers want Jason to hit the ball on the ground, and he is obliging them. In his last 207 plate appearances, he has hit only 1 homerun. Compare this to his first 185 plate appearances in which he hit 10. Remember those majestic bombs he hit back in April and May? They show he is capable of being the power hitter Braves fans yearn for, but he will have to develop into such. In over 1000 minor league plate appearances, Heyward only hit 29 long balls. An old scout’s adage tells us that power is the last tool to develop. Well Jason clearly has it; he just needs to use it by hitting the ball into the air more.

At The Break As The Best Team In The National League

If only this Atlanta Braves team could do everything I wished for, we’d be set for years to come.  Ten days ago, with 9 important division games standing between the Braves and the All-Star Break, I asked for 3 series wins to finish out the front half of the season. Sure enough, here we are at the break after doing just that.  The Braves took 2-1 series wins over the Marlins, Phillies and Mets bringing the team record to 52-36 to this point.

The Braves sit 4 games atop the National League East with a 4 game lead over the Mets and a 4.5 game lead over the Phillies.  The  Marlins and Nationals round out the division 10 and 13.5 games back respectively.

The first half of the season was far from perfect however.  We’ve tried our best to forget about the abysmal baseball the Braves were playing in April, culminating with a 9-game losing streak.  Injuries have hampered the team at times.  Heyward and Diaz have missed time along with Jair Jurrjens.  Diaz and Jurrjens have recently returned to the squad and things are looking up on that front.  Jason Heyward has decided to sit out in his first All-Star selection to rest his injured thumb.  He should be back in the lineup for the Braves shortly after the break and hopefully picking up where he left off before the injury.

It’s a much needed break for the team, with the exception of the Braves’s 5 All-Stars (6 counting Billy Wagner who will not take part in All-Star festivities).  Here’s hoping the team will come out firing on all cylinders after the break, much like they did in the 2009 season.   It’s great to see winning baseball back in Atlanta and like I said, if the Braves just keep winning series, there will be a little extra baseball around the Ted come October.

Braves Snag Five All-Star Spots

When all was said and done with All-Star voting, the Atlanta Braves walked away with five selections for the 81st All-Star game, held in Anaheim on July 13th.  Jason Heyward, Brian McCann, Tim Hudson, Omar Infante and Martin Prado will all represent the Braves in the Midsummer Classic.

Jason Heyward is the second youngest player to ever be selected to start in an All-Star Game.  Though on the disabled list, Heyward will be activated before the game.  He will travel to Anaheim but will likely not play in the game.

Martin Prado received his first All-Star selection after a dominant first half of the season where he lead the NL in batting average and MLB in total hits.  Prado placed second in voting to Chase Utley, who has been disabled with a thumb injury.  As a result, Prado will likely start the game for the National League.

This is also the first All-Star selection for Omar Infante, whose selection came as a surprise.  Charlie Manuel added Infante to the National League roster on account of the versatility he provides in a utility role for the Braves.

Tim Hudson received his third trip to the All-Star Game, but his first with the Braves.  He last represented the A’s in the 2004 game.  After returning from Tommy John surgery last sesason, Hudson has compiled an 8-3 record and posted a 2.37 ERA in 2010.

Brian McCann receives his fifth All-Star selection in his fifth full season in the majors.  Though his production is down from 2009, McCann still leads all NL catchers in batting average.

The Braves have a chance to send a 6th player to the Midsummer Classic in the form of Billy Wagner.  He has been selected as one of the five NL Final Vote competitors, where the fans have the opportunity to select the final player on the team roster.  Wagner is facing off against Joey Votto, Ryan Zimmerman, Carlos Gonzalez and Heath Bell.

There would be no better send-off in Wagner’s final season, where he has served as a dominant closer for the Braves, than an All-Star selection.  Vote now to get Wagner in the All-Star Game!

All Eyes On Jair Jurrjens… Hudson’s Dominance and Heyward’s Thumb

In his latest “Fried Baseball” audio blog, Kent Covington talks about the return of Jair Jurrjens, Tim Hudson’s dominance, and Jason Heyward’s thumb. Throw in your 2 cents in the comments area below… or leave a message with your questions or comments for a future commentary at 888-669-5368 (ext.701.)

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Heyward Will Sit Out All-Star Game

I know I was hard on him earlier, but Jason Heyward just made me glad his head is screwed on straight – he said that, if chosen, he’ll sit out the All-Star game.

And this is why he’s more mature than most kids his age.

Most kids his age would want to go take the fame and glamour that comes with being selected as an All-Star in your first season. Heyward will be eligible to come off the DL before the All-Star game and could likely play with no risk to the remainder of the season. Despite this, Heyward is showing his maturity and his devotion to the team and electing not to play in the All-Star game.

Good on you, Jason. I’ll be the first to say that we appreciate not just you prioritizing the rest of the season with the Braves, but knowing you’re not after personal glory. You fit here in Atlanta, and we appreciate that.