This is my favorite team aside from the Yankees. Although they hate anything and everything Bronx-ish, I tend to admire the way they haven't given up after making eight straight postseasons and winning only one championship. Not to say I have fuzzy feelings for them. The Yanks, in my mind, outdistance them by a mile...a very long one, too. But their the favorites this year in the NL.
Led by stars such as Greg Maddux, Ryan Klesko, and Andrew Jones, they've built they're team around great pitching, clutch hitting, and a solid defense. This season, their third in the new Turner field, they've been as plagued by injuries as the Yankees. The most noticable loss is Andres Gallaragga, Big Cat. The first baseman was diagnosed with cancer, and will miss the whole season, leaving Ryan Klesko to take the first sack. Also, Kerry Ligtenburg expierienced elbow difficulty, and will most likely miss the season as well. That leaves the closing spot to veteran Mark Wohlers and some younger prospects.
Wohlers is a person favorite of mine, whose psyche cracked when the Yank's Jim Leyritz hit a three run homer off of him in 1996 to tie game four and the world series. He was pretty good in '97, ending up with an era of around 3.50, but in 1998 he just couldn't seem to find the plate. Now the Braves' bullpen is their most obvious, immediate weakness.
Their starting pitching, however, is fantastic. After dealing away Denny Neagle, they were left with three strong starters in Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine. Maddux is arguably the best pitcher in the NL, winning three straight Cy Youngs, which no pitcher in history has ever done (although I'm hoping the Rocket will give it a go). Smoltz usually wins games near the twenties, and most Yankee fans remember him from '96. He won the Cy Young that year, and delt the Yankees their worst World Series loss in game 1. In game 5, he dueled Andy Pettitte and gave up only four hits and one un-earned run in eight innings.
However, with Neagle gone, they have iffy forth and fifth starters. They're leaning towards Perez and Kevin Millwood to fill those roles, both having been hit hard but having okay springs. Millwood did very well towards the end of last season, giving the Braves confidence enough to trade Neagle. If either Millwood or Perez doesn't work out, the Braves also have an option with Remlinger.
They also have a mixture of youth and veterans on the field and in the line up. Andruw Jones seems due to have a breakout year, with a very hot second half last year. Jones, for all you Yankee fans, was 'Coruscal's National Treasure', hitting two homers in Game 1 against the Yanks in '96. Chipper, Javy, and some of the other younger players (tho they aren't that young) have been steady for a while now. Veterans such as Otis Nixon and Walt Weiss don't seem to be lagging, but Nixon now must play nearly every game in left since Klesko will be at first taking over for Big Cat.
So far, the Braves don't seem to have much competition. The Mets are really the only ones to challenge in their division, and with the Met's unsteady pitching, the Braves should pull throut easy like last year. The only other threat in the NL is the Dodgers. History dictates that the Dodgers take the pennant*, but then who are the Braves to listen?
*- The Dodgers have made it to the World Series in ever same digit year since 1955 (1966, '77, '88, and ???). Also, in '96 and '98, the Yankees played and won the last team they played in Spring Training...in '96 they went to Atlanta, and last year they played the Padres. Guess who they played this year for the final two...that's right, LA.
No matter what decade, you can always call the Mets the anti-yankees with a fair amount of ease. It goes like this: Yankees good = Mets bad. Or you can flip'm for the 60s and the 80s,and go with Yankees bad = Mets good. The Yankees and Mets, despite forty years of co-existence, have never shared a postseason, let alone a World Series. So while the Mets seem to be pretty good, the SuperYankees are, in the supernatural sense that governs baseball, in their path. Or should I say in the baseline?
The Mets are looking to put together a one-year wonder team, aquiring 40+ pitcher Orel Herscheiser, and the aging Ricky Henderson. They did, however, lock up Piazza for ninety million, though that sum was later blasted out of the water by the Dodger's offer of 105 mil to Kevin Brown. They got Al Leiter, Robin Ventura, and Bobby Bonilla.
One of the biggest questions for the Mets is their starting pitching. Leiter, though he had 17 wins last year and an ERA of under 2.5, had a few control problems, but improved greatly over the spring. A fastball pitcher, he's best against righties since...duh...he's a lefty. The Mets also have several righties, one of whom who's Masato Yoshi, an underpowering pitcher looking to claim the 5 spot. Orel Herscheiser takes the 4th spot, and he's basically got his stuff, but he is at a tender age now, and might not last the season. The number two spot goes to Rick Reed, one of the hardest working guys in baseball. He doesn't have a lot of talent, but does have a work ethic comparable to Roger Clemens. They also have Bobby Jones as their third pitcher, and Allen Watson as a spot starter.
They have a wealth, even a surplus, of relievers. Some of the most notable are Dennis Cook and John Franco. A 38 year old veteran, he uses a lot of instincts and knowledge of the game to get hitters out. His fastball was in the nineties this spring, though. He's pretty much got the job as closer. Cook is a dependable setup man, with another good work ethic. He's got a problem with lefty hitters. Also relieving are Turk Wendell and the aforementioned Allen Watson. Wendell's only problem seems to be keeping his pitches down. Also a reliever for the Mets is Yankee hater Armando Benitez, whom we all remember as the cranky fastballer who hit Tino Martinez in the back with a frusteration pitch and started a bench clearing brawl. Also relieving are Josias Manzanillo and Greg McMcheal.
Their hitting is much less debatable. Bobby Bonilla is one of their prizes, a slugger who's peaked and may not show the power he did last year. He's not a very good fielder, either, but is consistent at the plate. They also boast the lesser known Mike Kinkade, a utility man with plenty of power and a good average last year. Other power hitters include Brian McRae and Todd Pratt, while some people claim John Olerud, their starting first baseman, to have one of the sweetest swings in the league. And of course there's Mike Piazza, who hit .328 last year with over thirty home runs.
Their defense is pretty sketchy. While they can boast Rey Ordonez at short and five time Gold Glove reciever Robin Ventura at third, their outfeild is close to pitiful with McRae sufficing in center and Bonilla and Henderson just plain old stinkin' in their respective fields. McRae's 'pretty decent range' won't be much of a help. Alfonzo is an adequate second baseman, but it may take time for him to adjust to his new position. Olerud plays solid defense. Their catching is terrible, with Piazza's throwing arm perhaps the worst in the league, and his skills behind the plate not much better. However, they got him for what he can do *at* the plate, and besides, the backup catcher can't hit anyway.
The Mets are gonna try to challenge the Braves this year, after a disapointing last season. Can they make it? Who knows?