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The Atlanta Braves are once again looking like a championship-caliber team. The Braves have held first place in the National League East for nearly three months and show no signs of slowing down. In fact, they are showing signs of improvement. (see: Derrek Lee)

Atlanta’s success has undoubtedly been a 25-man effort, but that does not mean that the incredible individual performances should go unnoticed. Here are the handful of Braves that are amongst the top candidates to win some of Major League Baseball’s most coveted awards.

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David Kaplan of Chicagonow.com, who originally broke the story, has reported that the deal sending Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves is done. The Braves acquired Lee and cash considerations from the Cubs in exchange for minor-league pitchers Tyrelle Harris, Robinson Lopez, and Jeffrey Lorick.

As Braves fans have witnessed the current slump of first baseman Troy Glaus, many have began to wonder if the Braves organization would call up minor league slugger Freddie Freeman to take his place. However, it seems like Frank Wren had other plans.

Instead of rushing Freeman’s career in the majors, the Braves are getting a temporary solution in the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Derrek Lee.

Lee, who had a .694 OPS as late as July 8th, has been on a tear ever since, with eight doubles, six homers, and a .317 average in his last 25 games. Troy Glaus has batted an ugly .196 since the All-Star Break and has contributed virtually nothing to the team since his hot streak in May and early June.

Rumors are that Glaus will be placed on the DL to give his knees the rest that they have been needing all year and to free up Lee’s roster spot.

This trade is just another example of the Braves’ “win-now” mindset this year. The slumping, injured Glaus was only hurting the team by playing hurt, so the Braves go out and get one of the hottest hitters in baseball for basically nothing.

Lee’s Gold Glove-caliber defense is definitely a huge upgrade from Glaus, but most importantly, Lee is the right-handed power hitter that the Braves have been looking for all year and this trade will only make the NL East race that more interesting. Lee will be in the Braves’ lineup for the first time against none other than the Chicago Cubs.

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When talking about the favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award, the most common names mentioned are Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, and Adam Wainwright.

Jimenez and Halladay have one no-no each to add to their resumés, and Johnson and Wainwright have been lights-out all year. All four of these pitchers have more than 150 strikeouts and over 8 K’s per 9 innings.

Who would’ve thought that a 35-year old sinkerballer, just two years after reconstructive elbow surgery, would be amongst these strikeout machines in the Cy Young race?

Atlanta Braves ace Tim Hudson has won each of his past five starts, while allowing only two earned runs in 36 2/3 innings (0.49 ERA). His 2.13 ERA on the season is the second best in the Majors and his 14 wins is the fourth most in the National League.

What gives the advantage to Hudson over all of the other candidates?  Hudson’s masterful pitching has put his team in first place. The ace of the Braves’ staff has shutdown opponents all year and in the middle of a heated pennant race, Hudson gives his team a chance to win every time he is on the mound.

The key to Hudson’s success is ground balls. Hudson leads all Major League starting pitchers in ground ball to fly ball ratio (1.95) and opposing batters have a miniscule .293 slugging percentage against Hudson, the lowest against any starting pitcher in baseball.

Some would say that Hudson’s success is due to luck, given his league-lowest BIPA of .219, but the flawed statistic of Balls In Play Average can not trump the dazzling ERA and the fact that Hudson has allowed more than four runs only one time in his 24 starts.

Regardless of the fact that luck may occasionally be on his side, Hudson’s strikeout rate has climbed to almost five whiffs per nine innings since June, and his walk rate has decreased every month of the season.

Hudson is a legitimate candidate to win this year’s Cy Young Award and with a strong outing in his next start against the last-place Washington Nationals, he could easily become the favorite.

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Atlanta Braves fans everywhere are in a sudden state of shock.

Chipper Jones, the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise and the last link to “The team of the 90’s,” will miss the rest of the 2010 season and has possibly played his last game as an Atlanta Brave.

When people think about the Atlanta Braves, the first name that comes to mind is Chipper Jones and the second name that comes to mind is Bobby Cox. It now seems like the Atlanta Braves will be without both at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

Jones hinted at the possibility of retirement in June. Since then, he batted .307 with seven home runs and fans became optimistic that Chipper would be returning for one more season.

That optimism has disappeared and been replaced by the realization that one of the best Braves to ever live, a first-ballot hall of famer, may never step up the plate again.

Chipper Jones will always be remembered as one of the best players to ever play the game. He ranks third in home runs by a switch hitter, right behind hall of famers Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle.

Chipper’s .306 career batting average is higher than some of the best players in history (Pete Rose, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron…) Chipper is a five-time All Star, the 1999 NL MVP, a batting champion, and a world champion.

To say that Chipper Jones belongs in Cooperstown is an understatement.

Chipper’s accomplishments and records go on forever, but Chipper Jones is more than a line of stats or a name in the record books.

Chipper is a leader. He is a role model. He is a presence. When “Crazy Train” starts playing at Turner Field, we all stand and cheer and when Chipper Jones speaks, we all sit down and listen.

The most likely replacements for Chipper at third base will be clutch Brooks Conrad and the All Star Omar Infante. Plus, don’t be surprised if the Braves call up minor league slugger, Freddie Freeman to share time with Troy Glaus at first base and give Eric Hinske some time at third.

The Braves will still be able to contend with the three utility men playing third, but there is just no replacing the legendary Chipper Jones.

If indeed Chipper does call it quits, next season will be the Braves’ first season without their beloved third baseman in 17 years.

This is more than losing a team leader. This is the loss of the last link of one of the greatest dynasties in the history of baseball and it could not have happened more suddenly.

Braves fans everywhere are wishing that this incredible play never happened.

Although this injury will undoubtedly be a huge blow for the Atlanta Braves and their chances for the postseason, it will also motivate the team even more.

The rest of the season is not only for Bobby Cox, but now the Braves will be encouraged to win for the skipper and for the Chipper.

This article is also featured on Sports Haze.

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Despite being home to the all-time home run king, the Atlanta Braves have never been known for their ability to hit the ball out of the park. They are somewhat better known as the “Anti-Yankees,” if you will. They have country accents, less money, and very little power, but they have still found ways to to win.

However, the recent surge of power from the Atlanta Braves’ offense has proven that this team can hit the long ball just as well as the next squad and, with Atlanta’s dominating pitching staff, sometimes the Braves only need one or two of these home runs to win ball games. 

Braves hitters have combined for 11 homers in their last six games, while the pitching staff has limited opponents to one homer in that same span. All of a sudden, the Braves have found that power that they have been searching for the whole season.

Jason Heyward finally reminded us that he can hit the ball over the fence while veterans Chipper Jones and Brian McCann have finally returned to their true form. Alex Gonzalez has three home runs as an Atlanta Brave and 20 for the the whole season. Meanwhile, Troy Glaus is once again showing signs of life, and hitting-machine Martin Prado will be returning from the DL any day now.

Suddenly, the Braves are looking powerful.

The Braves will be an even harder team to beat if they can continue to successfully combine great pitching and explosive offense. This month of August is a crucial month. The Braves must keep on finding ways to win baseball games and separate themselves from Philadelphia. This will be no easy task, but if Atlanta can continue to hit the ball well and shut down opposing offenses, they will be virtually unstoppable.

The long ball is an aspect of the Braves game that has seemed to be lacking for many years. If the Braves batters can stay healthy, that ball will continue to fly out of the park and the Braves will continue to win series.

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The Atlanta Braves have been due for a slump for a little over two months now. Well, that slump has finally arrived and it just so happens that the Braves start losing when the Phillies start winning. Now that Atlanta’s division lead has almost completely evaporated, it is time for Braves fans to start looking for a scapegoat and the most popular candidate so far is First Baseman Troy Glaus.

Troy Glaus’ lack of production in the heart of the order is one reason for the Braves’ latest offensive woes. Since June 22, Atlanta’s first baseman has hit .165 with zero homers, a .303 on-base percentage and a .220 slugging percentage and those are not numbers that you want to see right smack in the middle of the order. However, before we start talking about The Amazing Freddie Freeman and why the Braves should have traded Glaus a month ago, let’s not forget what Glaus has done for The Atlanta Braves this year.

We saw this same thing happen from Glaus in April when we were just getting acquainted with the Braves new first baseman. Sure, his recent slump is lasting just a little bit longer than we would like, but where would the Atlanta Braves be right now if it weren’t for Troy Glaus? Most likely not in first place.

The legend of Troy is that he can show absolutely no signs of life for a few weeks, then he will carry a team on his shoulders for a month. That is exactly what The Braves have experienced this year. In the months of April and July, Glaus has looked like nothing more than a chubby Nate McLouth, but the important statistic is that from May 1 to June 20, Glaus collected 46 RBIs while hitting .316 with 12 homers and a .579 slugging percentage. Those numbers crowned him the June player of the month and carried the Atlanta Braves all the way to the top of the tough NL East.

The real reason for the Braves’ recent offensive slump is their lack of hitting with runners in scoring position. Atlanta is just 18 for 108 with RISP in their past 11 games and the Braves will be lucky to contend for the wild card if that trend continues. That is a .167 average with men on second or third and Troy Glaus is not to blame for those numbers, the whole lineup is. The Braves just can’t seem to find those big hits anymore. It seems like every time Braves country bends their elbow and begins the Tomahawk Chop, our chanting is rudely interrupted by an inning ending double play. If you really love to analyze statistics, you would be interested to know that Troy Glaus is batting .270 with runners in scoring position, a better average than Brian McCann, Eric Hinske and Martin Prado.

Troy Glaus is going to get hot again and he is going to get hot at the perfect time. Hopefully, a little rest mentally and physically will do the Braves RBI leader some good, but until then Braves fans have to be patient with the infamously streaky hitter. It will be worth the wait.

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The main exports from the country of Venezuela are petroleum and firearms, but the most valuable export from the South American country has been a 6 foot 1 power hitting second basemen with more talent than the all of the nine-year-old Mozarts combined on Oprah’s Most Talented Kids. This hitting machine has added more firepower to the Braves lineup than any amount of petroleum and firearms ever could.

His name is Martin Prado and he leads the league in at bats, runs scored, hits, and has the third best batting average in the National League at .315. However, if you want to know anything about Prado’s history before his minor league career, or if you’re curious about what high school team he played for and whether he was class clown or most likely to win a batting title, good luck finding out.

Not even the most die hard Braves fans know much about their starting second basemen. We know that he signed at the age of 16, then he played a couple of years in a developmental Dominican Republic league and a few years later he magically appeared in the Braves farm system and hasn’t stopped improving since.

We got our first real taste of the South American spice when he stepped in as the Braves’ starter at second base when Kelly Johnson went on the DL midway through the 2009 season. The next thing we know, Kelly Johnson is back from the DL and riding the pine and eventually finds himself in the middle of the desert on a last place team after Prado impressed with a .307 batting average and 11 home runs. Prado has only gotten better.

Besides the fact that he can hit well above .300 with around 20 home runs, the best part of Martin Prado’s game is his determination and his humbleness. That’s the difference between him and players like Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips. Both are talented players, but while Phillips decides to boast about every home run and publicly announce that he is the best second baseman in baseball, Prado blasts a 453-foot homer against the Marlins and says this, “The wind was blowing out, I got lucky. There are tropical storms around here.”

Wait a second. That’s not the difference between Martin Prado and Brandon Phillips. The difference is Prado has a better batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, more RBI’s, more hits, and more total bases. Dont worry Brandon, you’re still the better dancer.

Martin Prado is the number one candidate for MVP of the Atlanta Braves this year and he could be MVP of the Braves for many years to come. It seems like Prado has played in every game this season and he is very rarely not on base for Heyward and the boys to drive him in. There has never been a leadoff hitter for the Braves like the one they have now and hopefully he will bounce back from his recent injury and continue to drive us towards the post season. Until then, I guess we have to depend on the All Star .339 hitter, Omar Infante.

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The race for the National League East just got a lot more interesting.

The Philadelphia Phillies have had many struggles with their starting pitching this year. Roy Halladay has been beyond extraordinary for Philadelphia, but the reigning National League champs have had a hard time establishing a No. 2 starter for their rotation.

Now there is another Roy in the city of brotherly love and the Atlanta Braves aren’t going to love it. Roy Oswalt is now a Philadelphia Philly.

Just a few days ago, the Braves had a seven-game lead above the Phillies, the biggest in Major League Baseball. After a mini-slump by the Bravos and a seven-game winning streak by Philadelphia, that lead has dwindled down to three-and-a-half games.

Now that the Phillies have two of the best pitchers in baseball and suddenly one of the best rotations, with Halladay, Oswalt, and the surprisingly great Cole Hamels, the Braves may find that lead even smaller as the season rolls on.

However, this does not change the fact that the Braves are the favorites in the NL East. The Braves rotation may not have as many “aces” as the Phillies, but their rotation and bullpen are still much deeper, giving them the edge in the pitching department.

The Phillies still have major issues regarding their offense as well. Starting outfielder Shane Victorino was just placed on the disabled list early this week and Chase Utley is not set to return to the lineup until at least late August or early September. For now, top Phillies prospect Dominic Brown will play in Victorino’s spot, but replacing a player of Victorino’s caliber with any minor league prospect is still a huge loss.

The Braves will not face the Phillies again until late September in Philadelphia, so Braves fans do not have to worry about facing Oswalt until then. There is no doubt that Oswalt is a huge improvement for that Phillies starting rotation and he will certainly bring that club closer to winning their third consecutive pennant. Just not close enough.

The injuries and inconsistency of the Phillies bullpen and offense will be their downfall this season. With this trade, they will make the National League East race a lot more fun to watch and give the Braves a much bigger challenge, but the Braves are still a much deeper team in the offensive and pitching categories and they are still the team to beat in the Eastern division.

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Every single Braves fan out there feels the same way about Nate McLouth. The guy can’t get a hit to save his life and he certainly does not belong in the starting lineup. He has proven to be nothing more than a pinch runner this year and there is no one in the world that realizes this any more than our trustworthy GM, Frank Wren.

All of the above is true, but before you accuse Wren of falling asleep at the wheel, remember that the Braves made one of the boldest trades of the year in the five player deal that brought shortstop Alex Gonzalez to Atlanta and sent Yunel Escobar off to Canada. Alex Gonzalez is making an immediate impact and batting .325 as a Brave since the trade, making Frank Wren look like the genius that he is.

The way to solve the issue that resides in center field is to simply sit Nate McLouth on the bench. The Braves have proven that they can win with Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco in center, and both are either just a phone call away or already in the Braves dugout.

There is very little possibility that the Braves could trade for another outfielder without giving up valuable pitching prospects and Frank Wren has made it clear that he will not be doing that. Who can blame him? The Braves have some of the best pitchers in the minor leagues.

Don’t expect Wren to sit McLouth this week. He is going to put him in the lineup for at least a few more games to see if McLouth will show any signs of improvement. If McLouth continues this pace of striking out and killing rallies, Melky Cabrera will return to center field and the front office in Gwinnett will get a phone call with orders to send Gregor Blanco back up to Atlanta.

Although all us fans want to see Corey Hart, Cody Ross, or David DeJesus in Braves blue, we should not get our hopes up. The Braves won’t make a trade for an outfielder unless it is absolutely necessary, and right now it is not necessary. The important thing is that Nate McLouth is never in our batting order on a regular basis unless he can prove that he is still that Golden Glove outfielder that we traded for last year.

Frank Wren knows what is best for his team and he hungers for October just as much as we do. The Alex Gonzalez trade is proof of this “win now” mentality. Gregor Blanco and Melky Cabrera have proven that they can help the Braves win instead of hurting the Braves chances like Nate McLouth.

There will be no more trades this year for the Atlanta Braves and there is nothing wrong with that.

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The Atlanta Braves are having a championship caliber season and looking for their first World Series title since 1995. This slideshow will compare the current Atlanta Braves to the 1995 team to see if today’s team is the best Braves team that the world has ever seen.

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