Week two of the hitters edition of the Atlanta Braves Making The Team Meter (MTM). It's pretty early in spring to figure out the favorites for the final spots, but with Jack Wilson scheduled to be out for up to six weeks, a few of the non-roster guys are trending higher.
To begin with we'll assume that there is a group that has already made the team:
Starting Lineup: Michael Bourn, Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Jason Heyward, and Freddie Freeman (1 spot available at shortstop)
Bench: David Ross, Eric Hinske, and Matt Diaz (2 spots available)
If the Braves carry 12 pitchers as they usually do, then after the 8 players in the starting lineup, there are 5 spots left on the bench, of which 3 are already spoken for. It should be a tight race for what looks to be very few available roster spots (FYI, none of the NRI catchers are included for what should be obvious reasons):
Player, Position | Trending | Last Week | Roster Status | Notes and Comments |
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Jose Constanza, OF | He's competing with Luis Durango for what could be a backup outfielder spot, though I still don't see how another outfielder fits on the roster. But we'll see. |
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Todd Cunningham, OF | He's been a bit over-matched in spring games so far, but he's here to get a taste of spring camp, and he seems to be soaking it all in. |
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Luis Durango, OF | He's done a better job than Constanza of getting on base, both with hits and walks. If Constanza falters this spring, Durango should be there to step in (again, if an additional outfielder is carried on the roster). |
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Stefan Gartrell, OF | Hasn't done much to speak of, will likely just be triple-A depth. |
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Brandon Hicks, IF | Hicks hasn't looked too good this spring; though it's only 6 at-bats, he already has 4 strikeouts. He hasn't played any shortstop yet, which makes me wonder if the Braves consider him a potential backup at that position. For now, I'm notching him down just a bit. |
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Jordan Parraz, OF | He has done okay for himself this spring, though he's likely still behind Constanza and Durango if any additional outfielder is to be carried on the 25-man roster. |
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Tyler Pastornicky, SS | Hasn't done much with the bat yet, and he's committed two errors in five games. The Braves are still talking like he is ultimately going to be the starting shortstop. He's got time to come around both offensively and defensively. |
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Andrelton Simmons, SS | I know, I know, it's early, but I still believe that Simmons has a shot of usurping Pastornicky. I realize the Braves would be taking a huge gamble starting someone who hasn't played above A-ball, but if he out-performs Tyler this spring, then one has to wonder. So far he is outperforming Pastornicky. |
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Drew Sutton, IF | Sutton is taking full advantage of an open spot on the Braves bench. He certainly looks like an early favorite for one of possibly two utility infielder spots. I was already a fan of his, and he's done nothing to change my mind. |
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Joe Terdoslavich, IF | He's likely been the most impressive player in camp, doing what he does best -- hitting doubles. Chipper has been ailing, but it's early and there's plenty of time for him to get ready. JT is certainly making his case for being recalled to fill in if/when Chipper goes on the DL this year. |
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Josh Wilson, IF | With Jack Wilson on the shelf, the other J. Wilson has a shot at making the club. He hasn't done any hitting yet, but he's got time to impress. He could be the go-to guy if Pastornicky falters, and the club doesn't want to go with Simmons. |