Braves Making the Team Meter: Hitters Week 3

by gondeee on Mar 11, 2009 9:44 AM EDT Comment 8 comments

The Braves made some cuts yesterday, but they were all pitchers, so the kids get to stay around for a few more days. The injury to Garret Anderson should raise the stock of the outfielders trying to make the roster. Here is last week's MTM.

Player, Position	Chance	Notes
Josh Anderson, OF		Everyone thinks he'll end up the starting center fielder, so that probably means he won't. I hope the Braves don't get fooled into thinking that just because he has speed means he can lead-off -- he walks less than Francoeur.
Gregor Blanco, OF		Still playing for team Venezuela and getting rave reviews from his coach, Andres Galarraga.
Brooks Conrad, INF		He's gotten his chances this spring, but he's not showing anything at the plate.
Freddie Freeman, 1B		After some early fireworks, he's come back down to earth.
Diory Hernandez, INF		The hitting has certainly been there this spring, but his defense has been sub-par.
Jason Heyward, OF		It won't show up in the official stats, but he's been killing the ball in intrasquad games. He'll finish the year at double-A, and I bet we see him in the AFL.
Brandon Hicks, SS		He's been putting in some nice work and helping his stock in the organization's eyes.
Brandon Jones, LF		The dude keeps hitting. Considering he's traditionally a slow starter, he's having a great spring. With the injury to Garret Anderson possibly keeping him out for up to a month, the door is opening for Brandon to get some early season playing time.
Martin Prado, INF		Pray-do is starting to swing a better bat after starting off super-cold at the plate.
Jordan Schafer, OF		He still hasn't gotten back into games after an early spring injury while diving for a ball.

Arrow Key:
= Chance of making the team is even.
= Chance of making the team is going down.
= Chance of making the team is going up.

Next week things should get tighter on the MTM, especially for the pitchers.

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Comments

come on schafer...

we dont need anderson to even think he’s a real baseball player. he has speed and nothing else.

brandon jones has been a nice surprise thus far. maybe he can push frenchy out by mid-season (fat chance), but i’m not sure his defense could hold up in right field.

on a side note, it looks as though andruw is coming around. man, we should have taken a million dollar gamble on him.

by ryan c on Mar 11, 2009 12:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Schafer

2-2 today with a SB should get him back in the running!

by Jay212033 on Mar 11, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blanco is hitting .600 in the WBC. Yeah thats right. .600 as their leadoff man, and he even hit a homer today.

by yondaime4 on Mar 11, 2009 11:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I a proponent of Blanco, but the whole minor league option situation works against his favor. I wonder if Anderson or Blanco will become trade bait for a reliever or a power outfielder this summer?

by soup du jour on Mar 12, 2009 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was the other Blanco

who hit a homer.

by Lennox on Mar 12, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Our Blanco did hit another trip though…he had some really good ABs last night

by Smoltz's Beard on Mar 12, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's looking really good in WBC so far

Even though we’re only talking about 10 PA. He also had a killer season in winter ball, for what that’s worth.

He did have a serious defensive misplay in the first game against the US, I’ve always been a bit worried about his defense as a CFer, where he sometimes seems to have trouble with getting a good jump and taking the right angles and his arm is questionable. I like him in LF more than CF, considering what our other options are out there.

by Lennox on Mar 12, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs