Just an hour before opening pitch, I’m going to make my last bold prediction for the 2010 season. Just like my last prediction about the Padres making the playoffs, this prediction is also more focused on team performance rather than an individual fantasy performance.
Prediction: The Atlanta Braves win the World Series.
Jason Heyward – There aren’t a lot of players that get a chance to hit in the Major Leagues before the age of 21. In recent years, this list includes players such as: Ken Griffey, Alex Rodriguez, Justin Upton, Andruw Jones, Adrian Beltre, Edgar Renteria, and Ivan Rodriguez. All of these players are considered, or have been considered elite players at points in their careers. Heyward may not win the ROY, but he will certainly be one of the favorites.
Jair Jurrjens – sometimes you have to throw peripheral stats out the window. Just like Dave Bush consistently underperforms his peripherals, Jurrjens seems to always outperform his. I’m going to call this the “it” factor. Jair Jurrjens has “it”, Dave Bush doesn’t. Because of this “it” factor, Jurrjens should continue to produce statistics you come to expect out of an Ace.
Tommy Hanson – Tommy Hanson had a lot of expectations coming into the 2009 season. What does he do? Exceed them. Hanson’s 11-4 record, 2.89 ERA, and 8.2 K/9 in 21 starts shows why many fans are expecting him to overtake Jurrjens for the title of Braves “Ace”.
Veteran Leaders – Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson may not be the best pitchers on the team, but they will lead by experience. Hanson and Jurrjens will continue to get better as they watch these two proven vets work on a daily basis. Then in the 9th inning they will hand the ball to one of the best closers in the history of baseball, Billy Wagner. On the hitters side, veterans like Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus and Nate McLouth will certainly keep the youngsters in check.
Bobby Cox’s last season. 2010 will be Bobby Cox’s last season as a MLB Manager. This will be his 30th year, 26th with the Braves. During that time he has made it to five World Series games, winning one of them. It only seems fitting for Cox to go out on top.
2010 should prove to be a season of balance around the major leagues. I don’t foresee any teams winning 100 games, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good teams. Instead, it means that there are a lot of good ones. Once the playoffs come, anyone will have a chance, I’ll take my chances with the Atlanta Braves.
No related posts.
Really Enjoyed this. thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it. They looked great yesterday in the season opener.
Outstanding! Usually I in no way examine whole articles but the way you wrote this details is simply amazing and this kept my interest in reading and I enjoyed it. You might have got great writing abilities.
Great job on the site, it looks great. I am going to save it and will make sure to visit weekly