The Atlanta Braves on Top of the NL East
By Vernon Croy
The Atlanta Braves currently sit atop of a very competitive NL East division, even though they have not been a particularly dominant team this season. Offensively, they are being led by Martin Prado, who is currently batting .331, and Troy Glaus, who has 14 homeruns and 56 RBIs. Glaus is a bit of a surprise this season, as he was limited to only 29 at bats in 2009.
The Atlanta Braves currently sit atop of a very competitive NL East division, even though they have not been a particularly dominant team this season. Offensively, they are being led by Martin Prado, who is currently batting .331, and Troy Glaus, who has 14 homeruns and 56 RBIs. Glaus is a bit of a surprise this season, as he was limited to only 29 at bats in 2009. Rookie outfielder Jason Heyward has also performed reasonably well, with 11 homeruns and 45 RBIs, although he is currently on the disabled list with a bruised thumb.
The true strength of the Braves' lineup should be the pitching staff, but they have had their fair share of struggles as well. Tim Hudson has taken over as the Braves' top pitcher this season, as he has an 8-4 record with a 2.44 ERA. Tommy Hanson, who many believed was due for a breakout season in 2010, has also been pretty good, as he has an 8-5 record with 116 strikeouts. Veteran Derrick Lowe leads the team with 9 wins, but his 4.40 ERA leaves a lot to be desired.
The main strength of the Braves this season has been their ability to win games at home, as they have a major league best 30-10 record at Turner Field. The Braves simply find a way to win games, even when they do not play particularly well, which is why they are ahead of both the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies at this point in the season. As the season wears on, the Braves will have to improve their 18-25 road record, especially if they do not start getting better performances out of some of their top players.