Ode to Uggla

What should fans expect from Dan Uggla? Every player experiences below average seasons, as well as season with above average numbers. The Braves traded for Uggla after he achieved career highs in average, OBP, and OPS. Few remember the years he hit .243 and .245 for the Marlins, or the 36 home runs he hit in 2012 for Atlanta. People forget Uggla was an all-star last season. He walked 94 times, a career high, and finished with the same on base percentage as leadoff hitter Michael Bourn. People complain about his strikeouts, but when Uggla played for the Marlins he struck out at the same rate.

Perhaps the AJC commenter was joking, but how could anyone think that Uggla working out with McCann during the off-season was anything but a good thing? McCann went to what, six straight all-star games, and usually wins the award for the best-hitting catcher. I knew Uggla had lost weight, but hadn’t realized he was doing baseball-specific workouts with McCann and Medlin. Uggla could be the key to the Braves’ season, even though his stats weren’t out of this world with the Marlins.

YR..HR…BB..avg…OBP..SLG..OPS…K

06…27…48…282…339…480…818…123

07…31…68…245…326…479…805…167

08…32…77…260…360…514…874…171

09…31…92…243…254…459…813…150

10…33…78…287…369…508…877…149

11…36…62…233…311…453…764…156

12…19…94…220…348…384…732…168

avg..31…77…253…343…469…813…161

13…30…90…250…350…480…830…155

If Uggla bats .250 with 30 home runs, fans should be happy. He will average a strikeout per game, as he has throughout his career. It would be too much to ask for 30 home runs from both Uptons, Heyward, Freeman, McCann, and Uggla. If healthy, all should hit over twenty.

The Braves are built to hit home runs and strike out. Not my favorite style of baseball, but I won’t expect anything else. Barely past his rookie year, Simmons will both delight and struggle. Same with Johnson/Francisco. The meat of the order must produce for the Braves to keep pace with the Nationals, who also have a lot to prove.

Watching the Braves will be fun…and frustrating. I would much rather see the team shorten their swings and hit singles and doubles. Seems like that’s what the teams do that make deep runs in the playoffs: Giants, Cardinals, Nationals, Phillies, Yankees, Rays. That’s how Chipper retired with a career .303 average.

NOTES: What are the chances Gattis makes the team? Seems like he needs to play every day right now. If he was the fourth outfielder, Heyward would be the backup centerfielder. I suppose they could keep five outfielders, based on the makeup of the bench.

Not sure about the details, but yesterday Will’s friend Kevin’s dad was down at spring training…in the dugout with Chipper.