The Atlanta Braves were in the playoff race, either for the NL East title or the Wild Card, for a majority of the last season. This season they hope to be as competitive after putting together a few pieces in an attempt to actually outright compete for a spot in the 2010 MLB playoffs. This is something that fans with Atlanta Braves tickets can support, since last season they really only made half-hearted orchestrations to be anything but a rebuilding franchise (they still ended up in the playoff chase nonetheless).

Yes, Turner Field should be a fine time for those fans to see a Braves team looking forward to the schedule ahead. They have the pitching and could have the batting to be a real force in the NL East, at least testing the Philadelphia Phillies.

The starting rotation is a mix of veterans and young stars in the making. Derek Lowe is the ace, a veteran that signed a huge contract before last season. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson are two young pitchers unexpectedly developing quite early. Both players are younger than 25 but have to be considered unquestioned starters on most baseball teams. Tim Hudson was injured for most of last season, but (if he is healthy) he could be the last piece to one of the better four-man rotations in the NL. Veteran Kenshin Kawakami is a very able bodied fifth starter that was converted from middle relief last summer.

The Braves will have a full season with Nate McLouth in center field. He will play beside Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz. Atlanta might add Johnny Damon to the mix, but they are one of several teams pursuing the outfielder. If he joins the roster, experts expect Cabrera and Diaz to split time in right. The other major addition to this club is Troy Glaus. Glaus, like Hudson, is coming back from an injury-shortened season. He could be another slugger beside C Brian McCann, McLouth and 3B Chipper Jones. In fact, he could be the unquestioned slugger on this team. McLouth and Jones tend to hit a fair amount of homeruns, but also hit for contact and McCann led the team with just 21 homeruns last season.

The reality is that most of the hitters in the lineup show a decent balance of power and contact hitting. This team has burst out of a sort-of rebuilding mode and added expensive veterans in an attempt to win. They have the starting pitching and hitting to go a long way. Perhaps the fate of this team rests on Billy Wagner, who has resumed the role of closer again after being demoted to middle relief last season.