It doesn’t sound as if Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is planning significant changes to his lineup. So don’t expect to see Jason Heyward batting second anytime soon.
Plenty of fans and baseball analysts have opined that Gonzalez should move Heyward, a slugger and on-base-percentage machine, up from his current sixth slot. The No. 2 position — Nate McLouth’s current spot — is a preferred destination of many critics.
“When you make out the lineup, the lineup is a function of the entire lineup — eight guys, not just one guy,” Gonzalez said. “Statisticians, numbers crunchers and my SABR [Society for American Baseball Research] people — I’m a member — they shoot holes in that stuff. But you’re dealing with humans in the way the lineup is constructed.
“Yeah, you put this guy in the No. 2 hole, but what are you going to do to the six-hole? What are you going to do to [No. 5 hitter Dan] Uggla when he’s hitting good?”
Gonzalez believes this lineup is balanced and along with alternating left-handers and right-handers up and down the order, will cause difficulties for opposing managers.
“Like the situation [Tuesday], when McLouth bunts [Martin] Prado over to third,” he said. “Now, are you are going to play the infield in? Are you going to pitch to Chipper [Jones] or pitch to [No. 4 hitter Brian] McCann?”
Some critics have cited the additional 60-80 plate appearances Heyward could get if he hit high in the order.
“I think the way the lineup is constructed is more important,” Gonzalez said. “Then why don’t we lead off [Albert] Pujols? Or [Barry] Bonds?”
Slow start for bench
As much attention as has been focused on the hitting woes of the Braves’ everyday lineup, their bench has quietly gotten off to a slow start as well.
One of the Braves’ strengths last year was their bench. With at-bats few and far between so far this season, Braves pinch hitters have gone 0-for-16 through 12 games entering Thursday.
With off days and cool weather, Gonzalez hasn’t needed to rest regulars much. Eric Hinske and David Ross have each made one start, Matt Young two and Brooks Conrad none. Gonzalez said with the Braves in the middle of a stretch of 16 consecutive games, that will change.
“If you’re going to ask Hinske and Rossy and Brooksy and those guys who pinch hit to get big hits, you’ve got to play them,” Gonzalez said. “You’ve got to get them four at-bats some place.”
He has said he will probably start Hinske on Saturday against the Mets and Ross on Sunday, the latter to give McCann the day game off after a late-afternoon game.
First-round pick
The Braves will pick 28th overall in the first round of this year’s draft. MLB announced Thursday. The Braves gave up their first-round pick last year to the Red Sox as compensation for signing free agent Billy Wagner and took outfielder Matt Lipka 35th overall in the supplemental round.
The draft starts at 7 p.m. June 6 and will air on MLB Network.
General manager Frank Wren said the Braves are happy to pick 28th for two reasons: 1) it means the Braves had a good season last year, as the order is the reverse order of the finish in the previous standings and 2) there are a lot of good players to be had in the 20s.
“We’ve picked late in the draft a lot over the years, and we hope we pick even later next year,” Wren said with a smile.
Among players they have picked in the 20s in recent years are Jeff Francoeur (23rd), Joey Devine (27th) and Adam Wainwright (29th).
