Saturday, March 30, 2013

Braves Lineup - Opening Day 2013

According to MLB.com, the Braves projected starting lineup and batting order for opening day 2013 is as follows:

1.  Andrelton Simmons - SS
2.  Jason Heyward - RF
3.  Justin Upton - CF
4.  Freddie Freeman - 1B
5.  B.J. Upton - CF
6.  Dan Uggla - 2B
7.  Chris Johnson - 3B
8.  Gerald Laird - C
9.  Tim Hudson - P

I like this lineup, but here's what I'm thinking:
- At this point, I'd rather see B.J. Upton or Dan Uggla in the lead-off spot.  This Upton has a history of being a good lead-off hitter on championship caliber teams, and Uggla has a career .343 OBP.  All those walks and strikeouts may fit better at the top of the order than bottom.  However, I'm willing to give Simmons, with his career MiLB OBP of .352, a shot.  I'd love to see him show he can play at the level he did last year for an extended period of time.
- I wonder if Juan Francisco will ever get a shot to develop into a full-time player.  It seems like it'll be a platoon with Johnson for now.
- I loved having Prado out there, but I like the talent this team has.  This may be the best all-around team the Braves have had since the early 2000's. 

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