Atlanta Braves 2013 Season Review

While the season may have ended in disappointing fashion for the Atlanta Braves, this season had some great moments. Let's review the 2013 Braves Season.

Off-Season (key players in red)

Every season, good or bad, starts with the GM's finding any way possible to make their teams good. After losing Chipper Jones to retirement many fans were wondering the direction Frank Wren would take. Well, he decided to be a boss this off-season and make things happen. Who would replace Chipper Jones was the biggest question and it appeared that Frank Wren wanted to look at improving the out field to help cover the loss. He did so by signing B.J. Upton early and making a trade for his brother, Justin Upton.

"Significant" Losses 

Chipper Jones, 3B (Retirement)
Michael Bourn, CF (Free Agency)
David Ross, C (Free Agency)
Randall Delgado, SP (Trade with Arizona)
Martin Prado, 3B/LF (Trade with Arizona)
Tommy Hanson, SP (Trade with LA Angels)

"Significant" Acquisitions

B.J. Upton, CF (Free Agency)
Justin Upton, LF/RF (Trade with Arizona)
Chris Johnson, 3B (Trade with Arizona)
Jordan Walden, RP (Trade with LA Angels)

Pre-Season

Positional Developments

This year's pre-season was focused on who would replace Chipper Jones at third. After the trade with Arizona Chris Johnson produced a fight with Juan Francisco for the spot at 3B. In the end a platoon was decided on because of how dominant both players were. The Braves had just seemed to sure up their bull pen when Jonny Venters goes down with an elbow injury costing him the season.

Standings Predictions

Everyone thought that the Nationals and Braves would fight for the NL East title and that ultimately the Nationals  would push the Braves down into the Wild Card spot for the second straight year. Confidence could be found on both teams and while the media hyped the Nationals to be the best team in years, the Braves prepared for their season.

Regular Season: 1st Half 

General Summary

The first half of the season was a story of two teams. The team as a whole succeeded tremendously. Riding on the back of Justin Upton's inferno hot start the team went 14-2 to start the season. Naturally the team cooled off but the lead they had against the nationals proved extremely helpful. There were still some doubts going into the all-star game whether or not they would be able to hold on considering that they played near .500 baseball after the hot start. Also, Chris Johnson quickly proved his worth and took the full-time 3B duties as Francisco was traded away.

Evan Gattis

One of the biggest surprises this year for the Braves was Evan Gattis. Besides an epic back story on how he ultimately made it to the majors, the dude showed he could play. Starting the season at Catcher while McCann was getting healthy, Gattis showed his worth on the offensive side of the ball. Even after the return of McCann, Gonzalez looked for ways to keep him in the lineup. He ended up with 15 hrs for the first half of the season and had people speculating rookie of the year.

Slumps

During the first part of the season Heyward, Uggla and B.J. Upton decided to play very poorly behind the plate. All ended up near or below the .200 avg line with B.J. Upton and Heyward hitting towards the top of the order killing the team.

Injuries - replacements

While there are too many to list, the Braves should be commended on finding replacements on the cheap that when arriving in Atlanta helped produce a great season.

Regular Season: 2nd Half

General Summary

Much of the second half of the season was the Braves getting on hot and cold streaks. Ultimately the hot streaks proved victorious and the Braves built what turned out to be an insurmountable lead on the Nationals. The Braves ended respectfully and came out with the second best record in the NL. Giving them a tough match-up with the Dodgers.

Jason Heyward's comeback and injury

After having a terrible start to the season Heyward was moved into the lead off spot because Simmons, B.J. Upton, and really anyone else that was put there failed. The move proved to be genius as Heyward found his rhythm and began hitting over .300 for a nice stretch. That was until he got hit in the face with a pitch and missed 4 weeks due to a broken jaw. He was able to return for the last week or so and playoffs.

Chris Johnson's pursuit of the batting title

For almost all of the season people suspected that Chris Johnson would come back to earth. In part he did but he ended up second in the batting title race and showed he was not some chip-in from the trade with Arizona.

Slumps cont.

B.J. Upton, Uggla, and even Justin Upton had some massive slumps during the second half which has led Wren to look for trades for Uggla and careful consideration of B.J. Upton's future with the Braves.

Post-Season

Not having the best record in the regular season really hurt the Braves as they had to face the Dodgers with a crazy strong 1,2 punch in their pitching staff.

B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla Benched

It turns out that if you slump long enough, not matter how much you are being paid, you get benched. Who would have thought? It was the right call. Gattis, even though a defensive liability, had earned the playing time in LF and Heyward is more than capable of playing CF for a handful of series.

Pitching Problems

In games 1 and 3 of the series the Braves starting pitchers, Medlen and Teheran respectively, just got slammed. The bullpen, which was one of the major strengths of this team all year long decided to break down in the other two games. It's just a guess but I would say that the only way to fix this problem is to rest young arms more often during the regular season.

Team Awards (picks in red)

Team MVP

I could go into detail how that when Justin Upton was on his various rampages, the team player very well. Or I could say how that when Heyward was moved to the lead-off spot and started to hit the team was pushed to the next level. Even Craig Kimbrel who was brilliant this season deserves consideration considering how many games he saved for the Braves. All things considered, this award for me is a 3-man race. Here is the case for each.

Chris Johnson:

Who would have thought the throw-in player in the Justin Upton - Martin Prado deal would be one of the best players on the team. For the entire season no less. One of the most exciting things about this season was to watch Johnson compete for the National League hitting title. Just when you thought he was finally going to come back to earth he had a 3-hit game and was right back in it. While I don't think he was the MVP this year for the Braves he deserves to be mentioned for his efforts. Hopefully, he can play similarly next season.

Andrelton Simmons

The best defensive shortstop in the game had a great second season. He showed time and time again just how important defense is to winning ball games. I cannot even remember how many web gems he had this season but I feel like he had one every game. The most surprising things about Simmons this season was his offense though. He did in fact struggle as the lead-off hitter but after being moved to the back of the lineup hit found some nice success. Showing his power he knocked out 17 home runs this year. Is that enough to say he made the biggest impact? Maybe not.

Freddie Freeman

Even though he missed some time early in the season, Freddie Freeman was the most consistent player all season. He fielding was always solid and often underrated across the league. I however look at his offensive production as the reason for him getting my pick as the team MVP. When you hit over .300, lead your team in RBI, and produce in the clutch as often as Freeman did it's scary to wonder what would happen if you take that production of this Braves team. I would have to say the team would have not had so much luck at winning the division.

Team LVP

There is the case for a few players here. Uggla could have been here but sadly I fully expected him to be terrible. Heyward could also be considered because of how much his slow start and missing time due to injury hurt the team. All things considered this pick is easy.

B.J. Upton

The Least Valuable Player for the Braves team this season should come as no surprise. After receiving a ridiculous offer this off-season to start in Center for the Braves, B.J. Upton did very little right. Whether you look at his high strikeout rate or the fact that he ended the season with a .184 batting average and his butt sitting on the bench during the playoffs. His defense was mediocre and even the few times he got on base he didn't really make an impact as a basestealer. The fact that he was the lead-off man for a decent amount of the season just makes me cringe. He better have a good next season or Braves fans everywhere will beg Wren to stop signing big contracts. The team already has a terrible one in Uggla's.

Team Cy Young

When you look at how this Braves team was so successful, aside from the playoffs, it comes down to pitching. The bullpen had a great run with Craig Kimbrel having another amazing season and Luis Avilan coming out of nowhere and proving the Braves can find, develop, and win with pitching. Many will jump straight to saying Craig Kimbrel is the Team Cy Young winner for the Braves but I'll go with one of the three headed monster.

Kris Medlen

It's not how you start, but how you finish. Kris Medlen got the start in game 1 for the playoffs because he had a fantastic last month of the season. In the month of September he went 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA. That was a welcomed sight after he started 1-6 through may to begin the season. Now to be fair, the record he started with wasn't a good representation of how he actually played. He had a 3.48 ERA and for many teams that is enough to a least pull a record of 4-3. While I don't believe Medlen was the Braves best pitcher this year, he should get some recognition for his efforts.

Mike Minor

Minor had kind of an inverse of Medlen's season. He started off very strong and then faded at the end. The September record of 0-4 killed his chances of starting game 1 of the playoffs and really showed signs that maybe he had pitched too much during the season. It's a shame that he didn't have a better ending record because an ERA of 3.21 with 181 SO is rock solid.

Julio Teheran

Julio Teheran ended with 14 wins, 170 strike outs and an ERA of 3.20. Now appreciate those stats even more since he put them up as a rookie. Most people agreed when Wren chose to keep him over Delgado this summer, but I doubt many would have expected such a great season in his first full year. While he couldn't seem to get more than one decision is his first five starts, he proved over the rest of the season he could be a every solid starter in this league and has made many, including me, wonder if he can be the "ace" the Braves can rely on. Hit got hit up in his playoff appearance, but I think it was a good reminder to all that he was just a rookie. Through the good and bad, Julio Teheran is the Braves Cy Young player at least for me.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a season that Braves fans should be proud of. Winning the division is a good place to be and I would be surprised if the Braves don't have some sort of a stranglehold on this division for at least three years. General Manager Frank Wren will have to make some tough decisions this off-season in regards to beloved veterans and long time Braves, Hudson and McCann. It's going to be an interesting off-season with a little less drama than last year but there will still be news and analysis to come.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

-JComp

25 Posts and Counting

It's never a bad time to take a break and look at where you've been and where you're going. After starting this blog towards the end of August I have finally made it to 25 posts. It has been an exciting run and have intention of slowing now. Thank you to all my readers I appreciate the support. I am constantly trying to improve the blog's design and functionality so each time you come to the blog you may find something different.

Future Plans

I will continue to post at a consistent rate even into the off-seasons of college football and baseball. It's often wise to diversify your product. While I will always post about the Braves and Hokies the plan is to expand my current allotment of posts to more general sports topics.

My twitter feed has now been added to the blog. There I will post shorter thoughts in between my larger and more detailed blog posts there. Feel free to follow me on twitter as well.

Polls may be added at a future date. Depending on view activity levels.

Season Summaries are coming for the Braves and Hokies. These posts are gonna be rather long compared to my usual posts but there is nothing like ending a season with a bang.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp

Exum's Return

One of the best defensive backs to play for Virginia Tech, Antone Exum is about to return from an ACL injury. Before the season the transition back to starter looked obvious, but now everything is up in the air.

Antone Exum, A Brief History

2009 - Redshirted to get stronger and adjust to playing Free Safety.

2010 - Played most of the time at the Free Safety position and Nickelback. Had five starts but played in 14 games. Led the team with 9 pass break-ups had 45 tackles and 1 Forced Fumble.

2011 - Started every game for the Hokies either at Free Safety or Rover position. Had 89 tackles, 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles.

2012 - Was moved to Corner where he started every game. Had 48 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.

2013 - Has been recovering from ACL injury.

Where to put him

In my pre-season depth chart analysis I broke down why I thought it was almost a given that when Exum returned he would regain his spot at Cornerback and Kendall Fuller would slide to the Nickel. That seemed like a reasonable pick until Brandon Facyson came on the scene. Even though he had been doing well, after about 2 games I still had the audacity to claim that Exum, when he could prove he was healthy, would start over Facyson, alongside the Fuller brothers. That has all changed considering Facyson is among the leaders in the nation for interceptions with 4 and counting. Now Bud Foster and the Virginia Tech defensive staff have a major decision to make. 4 stud defensive Cornerbacks and really only 3 Corner spots you can put them in. So what do you do?

Projected Solution: Facyson to WR

In what I would deem a stupid decision, there is a high probability, given the terrible Wide Receiver play for the Hokies, that the athletic Facyson will be moved to catch some passes. He has shown great ability to catch balls this year with 4 picks and that has lead the Hokie staff to considering this option if Exum can return to All-ACC form. Here's why I think it's a bad idea. The wide receivers for Virginia Tech are getting better and now is not the time to stunt their growth.

Facyson has proved he deserves to start on defense and has made major plays there to help win ball games. Moving him does not guarantee the same production or impact on this team. Facyson also has the potential to grow into a fantastic Corner for the Virginia Tech team and I would hate for that to be screwed up. He even could play in the NFL one day. If you want to watch the tape, Facyson has completely out classed another player in the secondary and that is where my solution comes in.

Suggested Solution: Bonner to bench

Detrick Bonner may be good enough to start on most football teams, but when it comes to this Hokie defense he is just not as good as the other options. Now the trick here is that Exum would go to the Free Safety spot. He has started there before and been very successful. If he is not fully healthy Bonner can jump back in and fill the position fine. All of this can happen while the offense is unaffected, save when they get the ball in great field position because someone picked off the ball. Facyson and the Fuller brothers would keep doing their thing helping to lead one of , if not the best, defenses in the nation.

What to expect in Exum's Return

Regardless of where they put him for his first game, Exum likely will play a limited number of snaps. I don't know how well he is in game shape but just for safety precautions I don't expect him to play too much. Before the injury he was known as a big hitter, if he doesn't feel too comfortable you will be able to tell based on how hard he goes in for tackles. They won't rush him back so I suspect we will see an Exum that's better than ever. I'm a big Exum fan and hope he does well the rest of this year because he has to talent to play on Sunday's. Facyson has shown similar talent on that side of the ball and hopefully the Hokie staff will make the proper call with both of these boys futures.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp

Final MLB Playoff Predictions

Last month I looked at the MLB playoff race and made predictions on where I thought teams would land in the standings and how they would do in the playoffs based on those seeds. Well, with the wild card tiebreaker game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers being completed we now have the teams set. If you want to skip my word vomit and analysis, my picks are all laid out at the bottom of this post.

Who Made It?

NL

NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card 1: Pittsburgh Pirates
NL Wild Card 2: Cincinnati Reds

Every team that I thought would make the playoffs from the NL did in fact make it. The NL Central represented well this year with 3 of the 5 teams in the playoffs coming from that division.

AL

AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Oakland Athletics
AL Wild Card 1: Cleveland Indians
AL Wild Card 2: Tampa Bay Rays

To my surprise, the Cleveland Indians ended up where I thought the Texas Rangers would. Props to them for getting hot at the right time and stealing a wild card spot.

Match-ups

While I have already done this, it was with projected match-ups that are now void. So here we go again.

Wild Card Games

NL

Reds Vs. Pirates

I picked the Pirates to win this match-up early on and I still like for them to. They have the better pitching and possibly the NL MVP in Andrew McCutchen.

AL

Rays Vs. Indians

Nelson Cruz's suspension killed the Rangers in the standings and allowed the Indians to not only overtake the Rangers for the number 1 wild card spot but also the Rays. The Rays just won a play in game and had to use David Price, who is their ace, to even make the playoffs. I believe it will cost them this next game and the Indians who will put out their best pitcher will move on to face the Red Sox.

Division Series

NLDS

Pirates Vs. Cardinals

Despite playing in the best division in the National League, the Cardinals got hot and ended up with the best record giving them home field advantage all the way to the World Series if they make it. It also allows them to avoid the Dodgers who have the potential to run through the playoffs. They beat the Pirates in the regular season and should do the same now. Even if the Reds win the wild card game, the Cardinals will still win.

Dodgers Vs. Braves

As a Braves fan, this is where I have to put my Ego aside and admit that the Dodgers will likely win this series. Their pitchers have experience in the playoffs and have the timely hitting the Braves greatly lack. I believe it can be a deep series but in the end the Dodgers will pull it out. The Braves just simply have too many swing and miss players which plays right into the hands of the aces for the Dodgers.

ALDS

Indians Vs. Red Sox

From first to last. The Red Sox have completely turned around after last season. They were able to take the best record in the American League. I try not to make too much out of a good regular season record because the playoffs are too unpredictable for that, however I think the Red Sox are the real deal and shouldn't be tripped up by the Indians or the Rays, if the wild card game goes the other way.

Tigers Vs. Athletics

The Oakland Athletics have made me think twice about my original pick for the Tigers to win this series. Unfortunately, the Tigers just have the experienced and proven players needed to go far in the playoffs. So even though I would love for the Athletics to win, the Tigers should move on.

League Championship Series

NLCS

Dodgers Vs. Cardinals

This series, aside from the Braves-Dodgers series, may be the one that interests me the most. Both teams have outstanding pitching and focus on timely hitting to provide them with victories. I fully expect it to be a close series that the Dodgers find a way to win due to the advantage of having Greinke and Kershaw on the mound.

ALCS

Red Sox Vs. Tigers

When I looked at this match-up the first time round, I thought this series would be the hardest to pick. Now I completely have changed. While I doubt it will be a sweep, I suspect the Red Sox will move right on along to the world series.

World Series 

Dodgers Vs. Red Sox

My original pick was for the Dodgers to win the World Series over the Tigers. Maybe I'm putting to much on the backs of the Dodgers pitching staff, but I trust pitching and defense in big games so, the team that is better at that is the Dodgers so they will win the World Series.

Recap

NL Wild Card Game: Pirates over Reds
AL Wild Card Game: Indians over Rays
NLDS Games 1: Pirates over Cardinals
NLDS Games 2: Dodgers over Braves
ALDS Games 1: Red Sox over Indians
ALDS Games 2: Tigers over Athletics
NLCS Games: Dodgers over Cardinals
ALCS Games: Red Sox over Tigers
World Series:  Dodgers over Red Sox

Again all of these picks could be wrong but hey, it's fun to look ahead. Besides if it was up to me I'd like for the Braves to win it all.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp

What to expect tonight during the VT-GT game.

Those helmets man...

The Hokie stone style Helmets make their first and hopefully last appearance during a Virginia Tech football game. Don't get me wrong, I think they are really cool. Here at Virginia Tech the majority of the buildings are covered in this particular stone mined near the campus which has been coined "Hokie Stone". While the style may look terrible on a football helmet, or really anything but a building, the tradition of the stone makes it memorable. 

A Hard Fought Game

Every time these two teams go head to head it's a bruising game. With Georgia Tech's style of play this comes as no surprise. For those who don't know, Georgia Tech runs the triple option. In other words, their QB is basically a running back. As simply as I can describe his role, he either pitches the ball, laterals the ball after running some distance, keeps the ball himself and runs, or in the throws a pass. Due to this style of play their games are won of lost in the trenches. If they are able to consistently run the ball for first downs, they not only score but run out the clock for their opponents, making scoring early and often against them a must. One of the most memorable plays in a Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech game came in 2011 when Logan Thomas got punched in the face. The penalty that ensued saved the offensive drive and the game for the Hokies. 

I would not be surprised if tempers flair tonight as well. Football is physical and this match-up is one that will feature a very physical offense in GT and a very physical defense in VT.

It's gonna be close.

The last few games played by these teams have be grinds. The scores reflect it too. Here are the scores for the last 3 years:

2010: 28-21 Hokies Win
2011: 37-26 Hokies Win
2012: 20-17 OT Hokies Win

These games may have all been won by the Hokies but they could have gone the other way easily. In the 2010 game, Georgia Tech was driving down the field and thanks to a pick in the end zone by former Hokie Corner Roc Carmichael, the Hokies walked away with the victory. The 2011 featured the game changing punch discussed above, and the 2012 game went to overtime where a timely pick and kick made the difference. 

Final Prediction

I've thought about this for a while and I believe the ACC Coastal Standing are going to feature two teams above the Hokies. I initially believed those teams to be the Miami Hurricanes and the North Carolina Tar Heels but now I'm starting to think there might be three teams above the Hokies. 

Score Prediction: 17-14 GT wins

I hope to be wrong as a Hokie student and fan, but I just don't think the Hokie offense can can stay on the field enough to score or at the very least give the defense a rest. Expect exhausted Hokie defensive players by the mid third quarter.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp 

MLB NL Post-Season Teams Set

After last nights games every team from the NL, balling in October, is set. The Pirates and Reds both were able to win giving them post-season breath.

To Recap

If you missed my picks to make the playoffs you can find them here:
http://jcompcomments.blogspot.com/2013/09/who-will-make-mlb-playoff-ripples-part.html
Basically, I said the Braves and Dodgers were locks for the playoffs and that the NL Central would have three playoff teams. No stretches there as the four best teams throughout the season were indeed the four teams that have made it.

Who will play whom?

This is where it comes down to who will win the most games to close the season in the NL Central. The Cardinals do have a 2 game lead which I would deem sufficient to dodge the dreaded one game wild card playoff. That would leave the wild card game to the Pirates and Reds. If you would like to see who I think will win those games check out the second part of my MLB playoff picks here:
http://jcompcomments.blogspot.com/2013/09/who-will-make-mlb-playoff-ripples-part_13.html
There I break down each match up and predict a winner all the way to the World Series.

What about the AL?

To be completely honest, the races for the playoffs is much more intense in the AL. There is just enough baseball left to be played that it's still early to pick who will grab the wild card spots. This is what we do know: the Red Sox won the AL East, the Athletics won the AL West, and the Tigers will win the AL Central soon enough. As for the wild card games, it appears that the Rays will indeed make the playoffs and that the final wild card slot will be played out between the Indians and Rangers. Even though I am now probably wrong, I'll stick with my pick that the Rangers will get a wild card spot. Once everything has been decided I will adjust my post-season projections accordingly.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp

What was that?: Hokie Style

If you had the chance to watch the Virginia Tech - Marshall game, you watched a ton of crazy football. So figured I'd break it down a little.

So many blocks...

Both teams got into this aspect of the game. Towards the beginning of the game Virginia Tech fans everywhere we thrilled to see one of the first blocks by a Tech special teams unit in what feels like forever. Kyle Fuller came of the edge and got all ball and allowed Derek Dinardo to pick it up and score a TD. In overtime the both teams tipped/blocks kicks allowing play to continue and keep their respective teams from losing.

So many interceptions...

In my last post I wrote about how I thought that one of the freshmen corners for Virginia Tech was going to get a pick. As it turns out I was right and Kendall Fuller got a very timely pick. Logan Thomas decided he wanted everyone to continue to question his ability to be a QB by throwing two picks allowing Marshall to control the majority of the game. On what looked like the winning drive for Marshall however, Rakeem Cato threw a beautiful pass only to be picked off in what I consider the signature play of the game. In case you missed it:

So many overtimes...

Not one, not two, but three. As I mentioned earlier blocks were key here. The first overtime ended in a block kick and so did the second. In both cases the team that got the block was on the ropes and needed it to stay alive. Normally I wouldn't mind free football but this game took going down to the wire to the next level.

What does the game mean?

This was a game the Hokies could not afford to lose. After a weak season last year this year's Hokie team is trying to gain back some of the pride they had for such a long time. Logan Thomas continued to have trouble and reminded everyone that he is just not that good at quarterback. The Hokies defense looked weak through most of the game as well and really was a needed wake up call for the overall team. This defense is great but if the offense doesn't support them, eventually it will catch up to the Hokies. It almost did today. Next week's game will show just how good/bad this Hokie team really is. Marshall should be very proud with how they played and should take satisfaction in their QB play because Cato played fairly well.

Additional Notes

Thomas began running the ball today with 58 yards and 2 TDs. Trey Edmunds had a very good day with 110 yards continuing his solid play for the season. Derick Hopkins the Virginia Tech defensive tackle can run! He returned a fumble for 39 yards before being tackled. The big fella is over 300 lbs. Marshall's QB Cato had 10 completions to his former high school wide receiver Shuler, creating quite the duo of destruction for the Thundering Herd. Marshall was almost able to force a 4th overtime when Marshall's wide receiver Devonte Allen had Cato's pass slide right through his hands, ending the game. This game gave Virginia Tech a three game winning streak after their opening season loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

#ThatsWhatImGoingWith

- JComp