So – how was Jurrjens’ first season? Good. He’s a very talented young pitcher and may end up the Braves’ #2 starter behind Tommy Hanson for the years to come. He did get tired towards the end of the season – his ERA spiked from a 1.63 stretch in June to 5.73 in August and 4.30 in September. He’s young – and he maxed out at just over 142 innings in the minors – so 188 innings in his first year in the bigs isn’t bad – at all. Jair’s 13 wins represent four more wins than closest rookie pitcher last year – and that was WITH the Braves’ horrible 1 run game record. Jurrjens is one of my favorite Braves and tons of fun to watch – if I’m not at the game, I make sure to turn on the TV when Jurrjens is on the mound.

But what’s next? What should we expect in 2009? Well, I’m no genie. I’m don’t guarantee my predictions and don’t stand behind them – don’t even think about placing wagers on anything based on my numbers. Jurrjens will be even better this year – I think he’ll hit 200 innings pitched. I’ll predict a 16-8 year for the young Jurrjens, with a 3.30 ERA. Please note that I pulled those numbers out of thin air – but I think they’re reasonable with a more stable rotation, a more rested bullpen, and assuming the Braves even break even in the one-run game area. If the Braves can back Jurrjens up with some offense, we may see even better win totals. I’m not even going to pretend to guess strikeout/walk ratio. I’ll leave that up to you.

What do you think we’ll see from Jurrjens in 2009? Am I full of hot air? Are my expectations too high? Or too low? Feel free to chime in.

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