Braves Hold Spring's Best Record, But is it Meaningful?

The Atlanta Braves made a lot of changes over the offseason, from bringing three new starting pitchers to losing John Smoltz. Fans are going to see a different team take the field this summer, but given their performance this spring - it'll be a damn good team.

So far the Braves hold the league's best Spring Training record (12-3). Clutch hitting and stellar pitching performances have paced the new-look Braves to this point, seeming to answer questions as to how this team could win ballgames. At the plate, hitters have focused on driving in runs over driving the ball over the fence. Outfielders Matt Diaz, Brandon Jones and Jeff Francoeur are among the team leaders in RBI, alongside first-base phenom Freddie Freeman. With Chipper at the WBC (and injured) along with McCann, it's been a great testament to the depth of this lineup that they've been able to continue winning without their two best players. The pitching helps too.

While Javier Vazquez mows down hitters as part of a strong Puerto Rican ballclub, newcomers Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami have been proving their worth in a Braves uniform. Lowe's sub-three ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 11 innings have earned him a 2-0 record in three starts. Kawakami, at 2-1, has an ERA under two. Flamethrowing phenom Tommy Hanson has made his push for an opening day spot (which he won't get unless Glavine's injured), striking out more than one batter an inning and sporting a solid 3.38ERA. Combined, our starting pitchers have thrown 54 innings, allowing 17 earned runs (that's a 2.83 ERA) while holding a 39:16 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. These are solid numbers, these are numbers to get excited about. And don't worry, Javy's done pretty well in a Puerto Rican uniform too: 2-0, 0.96 ERA, 1ER and 1BB in 9.1 innings.

It all starts with pitching for the Braves, and it always has. We have good enough bats to spark some rallies, score some runs and keep us alive, as long as the starting pitching can keep it close. So far so good. Is it a great indicator for the season? Not completely, as most spring rosters aren't 100% (especially given the number of players off in the WBC), but its good to see our pitchers throwing with a purpose and a passion to make this a winning franchise once again. They all seem excited for the season, to prove their worth and to take on the league's best players in 2009.