We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere. To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2010 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team. We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2010 Braves Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy of Braves Journal.
1) The Braves expected 1st baseman is Troy Glaus, but I think they might have signed him to make Prado look fast and to make Chipper look resilient to injury. Do you think Glaus can make it through the season? If so, what kind of numbers can we expect from him?
Obviously he can, but I wouldn’t expect him to avoid the IR the whole time. I don’t think that the Braves do either, hence the signing of Eric Hinske. I think Glaus will play about 125 games and hit 25-30 homers, and probably bat about .250 but with enough walks to get him into the .350 OBP range.
2) I’m going on two years of excitement for Jason Heyward. Do we finally see him this year? If so, when and what kind of predictions do you see for him?
Given the current Braves outfield, which has basically one player (Nate McLouth) who’s really a major league regular, plus one good part-timer (Diaz) and one born bench player (the Melkysaurus), it would be stunning if Heyward didn’t play at some point. Right now, it’s 50-50 he starts the season in the majors. It could change if the Braves sign Johnny Damon.
If Heyward plays, I wouldn’t be too optimistic, as he’s still very young. I’d say .270/.330/.420.
3) Between the majors and minors, Tommy Hanson threw 194 innings last year after throwing 138 IP in 2008. Does that innings bump worry you? Can he stay healthy in 2010?
Everything worries me. The jump isn’t quite as big as the stats indicate since he pitched in the AFL in 2008. I think he’ll stay mostly healthy, but probably go through a dead-arm period.
4) Tim Hudson will throw 175 innings of sub-3.50 ERA ball in 2010. True or false and why.
If I had to guess, yes on the former, no on the latter. I think he’ll have two or three spectacularly awful starts that will skew his ERA. He was throwing at a higher velocity last year, but with occasional wildness, and I doubt it’s all out of his system yet.
5) With Chipper, Yunel and now Melky, the Braves have some of the best first names in baseball. McLouth, McCann and Dye-as are decent enough last names. Derek Lowe, Billy Wagner and Tommy Hanson work when you say the whole name. But what do we do with Jair Jurrjens? I call him Jar-Jar, but meesa tinks that’s dated. There’s got to be a better nickname. Right?
I’ve never gotten a handle on his name either. The best I can come up with is something involving Jurgens shampoo (I have a friend who calls him Jurgens).
