Most expected the Braves to be in contention this year. The team, despite their colossal collapse that ended the 2011 campaign, just simply had too much talent to fall out of the picture altogether in the NL East. With it also being the last hurrah for Chipper Jones, it only seems appropriate that the team is in line to make the postseason one more time (as of today they’d win the second Wild Card spot and would face the Reds in the first round of the playoffs).

Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones has been tipping his cap quite a bit this season, his last in the Major Leagues. (Image Credit: Scott Rovak/USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE)

Jones is batting .318/.396/.480 with 6 HR and 33 RBI through 197 plate appearances. He’s been receiving the royal treatment for much of the season, as nearly every park he’s played in has gone out of their way to recognize his career knowing full well it will be the last time fans will get to see him play in person. The one stadium Jones hadn’t played in over the course of his Hall of Fame career happened to be Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, but appearing in the All Star Game earlier this week rectified that problem.

Atlanta’s outfield has been solid this year. Martin Prado is hitting .321/.382/.457 and Michael Bourn is at .311/.366/.451. Both of their futures are uncertain, as Prado has been the subject of trade rumors for months and Bourn is primed to reach free agency at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Jason Heyward has started to resemble his old self again, batting .272/.340/.497 with a team leading 14 HR.

Brian McCann has mashed 13 HR and 46 RBI but has overall struggled at the plate to a .238/.301/.430 line. Dan Uggla has also disappointed, hitting just .221/.351/.395 while striking out 99 times. Rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons, however, impressed before breaking his pinky just last week that will keep him out for at least a month. He was batting .296/.336/.452 over 125 plate appearances prior to the injury.

Pitching has long been the strength of the Braves teams that consistently went to the playoffs throughout the 1990s and that was an expected strong point to this team in 2012.

Tommy Hanson has started to develop into the ace of the staff, posting a 10-5 record and 3.71 ERA so far through 18 starts. Tim Hudson returned from injury and has gone 7-4 with a 3.56 ERA to give the Braves a quality second starter in the rotation. However, beyond the pair the group has been largely inconsistent. Mike Minor has struggled to a 5-6 mark and 5.97 ERA. Randall Delgado, meanwhile, is just 4-9 with a 4.52 ERA. Finally, Jair Jurrjens is just 3-2 with a 4.97 ERA after spending a good portion of the season back in the minor leagues.

Atlanta was hit hard by injuries so far, losing two of their most promising young starters already this year. Brandon Beachy was leading the NL in ERA at the time he went down and after undergoing Tommy John Surgery he’s out at least until mid-2013 in all likelihood. Meanwhile Arodys Vizcaino underwent the same procedure before the end of Spring Training.

Craig Kimbrel has been a huge piece at the back end of the Braves bullpen, saving 25 games and pitching to a 1.36 ERA. Kris Medlan, despite some time in the minors and being bounced back and forth between starting and relieving, has also pitched well.

The Braves could be the biggest threat facing the Nationals as the rest of the season plays out, as the organization has talent coming through the minor leagues that could allow them to make a deal before the deadline that would allow them to address any perceived needs in order to remain in the hunt for the division crown. The two sides will play eachother 10 more times this year. It all starts with a four game set in Washington July 20-22, including a double header on the 21st, and then a three game series August 20-22. The Nationals will head down to Atlanta for three games September 14-16.

Our Season Preview series led off with an examination of the New York Mets. We followed with a look at the Miami Marlins’ pitching staff and then Philadelphia’s. Philadelphia’s position players came next and then we moved on to Atlanta’s. We then finished up the position player side of things with a look at Miami’s. Finally, we’ll address Atlanta’s pitching staff.

Pitching has been a calling card of the Braves’ success over the past 20 years. When the team’s remarkable run began in the early 1990s it was because of a staff led by the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery. Once Greg Maddux was added via free agency things really took off.

The Braves of late have been building towards a repeat performance, in a sense, as they’ve been developing a number of quality arms over the past few seasons. Now, those efforts may start to pay off as the team’s starting rotation is comprised almost entirely of home grown talent. Building around a young nucleus of talented pitchers worked for the Braves in the 1990s and it just might be the path they follow once again.

Atlanta will start the season with a starting rotation of Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy, and Randall Delgado. Jurrjens, who’s 26, is the oldest of the group and the only one who wasn’t originally drafted or signed by the Braves organization (he came from Detroit in a 2007 trade). Each of the five pitchers has shown just as much potential as they have inconsistencies and they all enter the 2012 facing certain questions.

March 21, 2012; Melbourne, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tommy Hanson (48) during the spring training game against the Washington Nationals at Space Coast Stadium. Atlanta won 3-2 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

Hanson’s health is a concern, particularly after some shoulder trouble has sapped some of his velocity. He was able to make only 22 starts and pitch only 130.0 innings last season, totals he needs to exceed if he’s going to become the Ace of this pitching staff. The right-hander was 11-7 last year with a 3.60 ERA.

Jurrjens was rumored to be on the trade block for much of the winter, with some citing a poor work ethic as a source of concern. He also missed some time in 2011, making only 23 starts and pitching 152.0 innings, and will need to remain healthy (he missed time in 2010 as well). He did go 13-6 with a 2.96 ERA in those outings, proving what kind of pitching he’s capable of being.

Minor, Beachy, and Delgado are all highly inexperienced. Minor and Beachy have appeared in games across each of the past two seasons and have roughly 25 starts (Minor, 23; Beachy, 28) apiece in their careers. Delgado made 7 starts last year and has only thrown 35.0 innings in the Majors to date.

But while they appear to need depth, the Braves actually have a fair amount of it. First and foremost, the veteran right-hander of the staff is not on the Opening Day roster solely because he’s still recovering from an offseason back surgery. Once Tim Hudson is healthy, which is expected to be early May, he’ll return to the rotation. The Braves also have right-hander Julio Teheran who will start the season pitching out of the rotation in Triple-A. Arodys Vizcaino, another right-handed prospect, will miss the 2012 season due to Tommy John surgery.

To further add to the list, the Braves also have Kris Medlen slated to work out of the bullpen, possibly in a setup role. There seems to be a growing sentiment among Braves bloggers that Medlen might be best suited for the starting rotation. There doesn’t seem to be much interest in making such a move by the organization, though considering their depth there doesn’t seem to be a need.

Of course, one of Atlanta’s strengths in 2011 was the back end of their bullpen. Closer Craig Kimbrel won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Left-handers Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty had strong seasons as well. The trio shortened games and could all be just as good in 2012.

Medlen, Christian Martinez, Chad Durbin, and Livan Hernandez will round out the bullpen. Durbin spent the Spring in Nationals camp and nearly won a spot in the bullpen. He opted out of his minor league contract and signed with Atlanta earlier this week. Hernandez, who Nationals fans know well, had signed a minor league deal with Houston during the offseason. He too, was cut earlier in the week and immediately signed with the Braves.