Braves Mailbag @ AtlantaBraves.com

I think starting pitching will be the key to the Braves' 2007 success. How does the Braves' starting five match up with the ones possessed by the Phillies, Mets and Marlins?
-- Russ C., Richmond, Va.

While evaluating the starting rotations of each of these National League East teams, you stumble upon the reality that every team has numerous questions that need to be answered this time of year.

In Philadelphia, fans are wondering how Freddy Garcia will perform in the bandbox named Citizens Bank Park. In New York, Mets fans are looking at a rotation that includes Tom Glavine and four potential detriments. In Florida, there's reason to be concerned about the health of Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez.

And in Atlanta exists a starting rotation that includes three former 20-game winners and a wealth of questions, with the primary one being: How much can be expected from Mike Hampton?

While analyzing which of these teams has the best rotation, I'm going to first eliminate the Mets. Glavine showed enough in the postseason to prove he still has something left in his left arm. And if we were just talking about the postseason, I'd say Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez would be a definite asset.

But we're talking about a 162-game season, and I don't see anybody but Glavine providing the Mets with a sense of assurance. This could change if Mike Pelfrey wins a job and immediately lives up to his tremendous expectations.

Simply because they're forced to play 81 games in their bandbox, I'm going to next eliminate the Phillies. Garcia has allowed more than 30 homers in three of the past four seasons, in which he completed at least 200 innings. Thus, he could be heading toward impending doom.

As for the rest of Philadelphia's rotation, I like Brett Myers, and Cole Hamels possesses a world of talent. But Adam Eaton and 44 year-old Jamie Moyer can be viewed as nothing more than mediocre.

That brings us down to two, and with both the Marlins and Braves, you find a lot "ifs." If Dontrelle Willis is able to return to form, then ... And if Tim Hudson regains his dominance, then the Braves will ... and so on and so forth.

After finishing second in balloting for the 2005 NL Cy Young Award, Willis stumbled. Midway through 2006, there were some opposing managers wondering if he was the fourth-best pitcher on his own staff. Of course, that had something to do with his struggles and just as much to do with the success of his rotation mates.

Combined, Willis, Sanchez, Johnson, Scott Olsen and Ricky Nolasco form a young starting rotation that rivals the ones once possessed in Atlanta and more recently, Oakland. But the recent arm problems encountered by Sanchez and Johnson are a definite concern.

In terms of frontline starters, nobody in the NL East can compare to the Braves. But age, recent struggles and recent injuries force Smoltz, Hudson and Hampton to enter the season facing questions. Some are also wondering if Chuck James can duplicate his rookie success, and if Kyle Davies will live up to once promising expectations.

But even with all of the questions surrounding these Braves, I'm going to choose their rotation as being potentially the strongest in the NL East. And I'll do so, only because they will receive tons of aid from a rejuvenated bullpen that definitely appears to be the best in baseball.

The Braves' staff got a lot better. But what about their offense? Now that it's weaker with the losses of Adam LaRoche and Marcus Giles, can we expect them to be just as good as last year?
-- Harry S., Brooklyn, N.Y.

No matter what happens to the offense, the changes to the pitching staff alone will be enough to make the Braves better than last year. And offensively, there's a chance they can be just as productive with a lineup that doesn't include LaRoche and Giles.

It took Chipper Jones all of about a second on Saturday to declare that Kelly Johnson will be a better leadoff hitter than Giles was. And even though the Braves have tried to downplay the need for a successful leadoff hitter, I'm of the opinion that Johnson's presence in the role will have a major impact on the team's overall success.

Johnson's patience will allow him to draw many walks and maybe just as importantly, force pitchers to throw more pitches in the early innings. This would be a benefit to the entire lineup.

Obviously LaRoche's power will be missed. But it's not as if Scott Thorman is going to be a Rico Brogna-type flop. Thorman will hit at least 15 homers, and if that should be more than enough in a lineup that is more in need of having the regular presence of Jones.

And if you're still losing sleep about the exit of LaRoche's power, then ask yourself, "Is there any way possible that Andruw Jones doesn't take advantage of this contract year?"

While Andruw may not top the 51-homer total he posted in 2005, he will certainly add a sense of consistency to his swing. By doing so, he'll ensure a hefty free-agent payday, and at the same time, further lessen the effects of the loss of LaRoche's bat.

What does the forthcoming sale to Liberty Media mean for the Braves fiscally? Will payroll finally go back where it belongs, that is, high enough to make the Braves a World Series contender again?
-- Matt D., Geneva, N.Y.

From all early accounts, it doesn't appear that Liberty Media's potential purchase would do much to the payroll. It definitely won't go down, and there's obvious reasons to believe that it won't be increased in any significant manner.

The Braves' payroll this year will be similar to the ones the Cardinals and Tigers used while advancing to the World Series last year. In fact, let's remember that three of the four highest payroll teams didn't even advance to the postseason last year.

With the constraints of a stagnant payroll, Braves general manager John Schuerholz has had to be a little more creative in his attempts to build a championship-caliber roster. And now that his offseason work is apparently done, I think many will look at the results and gain the belief that the Braves are certainly strong enough to advance to this year's World Series.

How would you rank Atlanta speed-wise compared to other teams in the Major Leagues?
-- Keith T., Mobile, Ala.

Considering they stole a National League-low 52 bases last year, they obviously aren't going to draw comparisons to the Cardinals teams that their hitting coach Terry Pendleton played for during the 1980s.

But last year's stolen-base results did put them in the same neighborhood as the current Cardinals, who stole 59 bases on the way to a World Series title.

Looking at this year's lineup, it doesn't look like much is going to change in the stolen-base department. Jeff Francoeur may learn to be a better basestealer and if Ryan Langerhans gets on base with any sense of consistency, he too might be able to register a double-digit steal total.

But the future could bring some more speed to Atlanta. Outfielder Gregor Blanco and middle infielders Elvis Andrus and Brett Lillibridge all appear capable of stealing at least 20 bases at the Major League level.

Most of my magazines and the articles I read on the Braves Web site say that Kelly Johnson or Martin Prado will be the starter at second base. What about Pete Orr?
-- Connor B., Suwanee, Ga.

Speaking of speed, Orr would certainly supply some in Atlanta this year. But as it appears now, it looks like he'll have a tough time earning a roster spot. He's not a front-runner in the competition to be the starting second baseman, and it looks like Chris Woodward and Willy Aybar will be the team's two utility infielders.

Because he'd likely be the better leadoff hitter, Johnson has been pegged as the favorite in the competition to win the second-base job. But he'll definitely get some stiff competition from Prado, who is the better defensive player.

I'm certainly looking forward to watching this battle that will likely be staged throughout the camp's entirety. A couple of weeks ago, first-base coach Glenn Hubbard, a longtime sure-handed Major League second baseman, indicated that Prado slightly reminded him of a young Omar Vizquel.

This is seemingly an eyebrow-raising comparison. But the fact that he's even drawn this comparison from such a highly-respected source, makes me believe all of us should at least take a few more looks at Prado before assuming the job will belong to Johnson.