Kelly Johnson has turned into one of the best leadoff hitters in the National League. In 20 games so far this season, Johnson is 22 for 72 (.306 avg, 1.007 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 5 homers and 13 RBIs. He also has walked 17 times so far which is outstanding for a lead off hitter. If Johnson keeps up this pace the Braves are going to score a ton of runs this season.

When the Braves traded Adam LaRoche they knew they would have a drop in offensive production, but they didn’t expect what they’re getting from Craig Wilson and Scott Thorman. Rookie Scott Thorman has been the better of the two, but that’s not saying much. He has played in 15 games and he’s 7 for 34 with 4 runs scored, 2 homers and 5 RBIs this season. Craig Wilson has played in 16 games and he’s only 5 for 37 (.135 avg) with 4 runs scored and 1 RBI. Wilson has also whiffed 13 times in his first 37 at bats this season. The Braves need these two guys to start to hit or the offense won’t produce a peak performance.

The Atlanta Braves went 4-3 last week despite getting outscored 34-33. The Braves had some minor pitching issues last week but they made up for it with their bats. They are currently in first place in the American League East with a 12-6 record, 1/2 a game ahead of the New York Mets.

Ryan Langerhans will start losing playing time if he doesn’t start to hit soon. He has looked helpless with a bat in his hands in his first 13 games as he has a .074 batting average and a .268 OPS. He’s 2 for 27 with 12 strikeouts so far this season and it’s possible that he will only be used as a defensive replacement if he doesn’t get his act together soon.

The Braves went 3-2 last week and they outscored their opponents 28-20. The Braves hitting has been a little bit better than advertised and the very improved bullpen has them on the warpath so far this season. The Braves are in first place now in the American League East with an 8-3 record, 1 game ahead of the New York Mets.

The Braves have placed reliever Chad Paronto on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin. He is 0-0, with 1 save, a 3.60 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 6 games so far this season. This could hurt the Braves in the early part of their bullpen as Paronto is coming off of a good 2006 season for the Braves.

Tim Hudson is starting to look like the pitcher the Braves thought they were getting when they traded for him. He has started 2 games this season and he’s 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP this season! Hudson has only allowed 5 hits and he’s whiffed 12 batters in 14 innings so far. He’s got his sinking fastball and split fingered fastball both working making it very hard for batters to elevate his pitches, which makes him very difficult to hit against. If Hudson keeps pitching well the Braves are going to be very, very tough this season.

The Atlanta Braves have learned that Mike Hampton will miss the entire 2007 season as he needs surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow. This is a major blow to the Braves who were depending on Hampton to be their #4 starter this season. The Braves will now depend on Mark Redman in the #4 spot in the rotation. It’s possible that he will do a good job as he was really solid for the Florida Marlins in 2003, so maybe he can conjure up some of that magic from that season.

Mark Redman, Macay McBride and Tyler Yates have all been pitching badly so far this season. The Braves really need Mark Redman to pitch good with the news that Mike Hampton will miss the entire 2007 season. Redman threw 5.2 innings in his first start of the season and he gave up 9 hits and 5 earned runs. That means he has a 7.94 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP after 1 start and the Braves hope he will get better and soon! Lefty reliever Macay McBride also has gotten off to a rough start as he has given up 3 hits and walked 6 batters in only 2 innings. The Braves need McBride to pitch well as their second lefty in the bullpen. Tyler Yates has also got lit up so far this season as he has thrown 1.2 innings and has given up 4 hits, walked 2 batters and allowed 2 earned runs.

Andruw Jones has gotten off to a slow start to the 2007 season. He’s only 4 for 26 (.154 avg, .646 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 2 RBIs. Not to worry, Jones will catch fire soon and that should be a scary thought for teams as the Braves are looking good with Jones in a slump.