Five reasons the Braves will rebound better than the Red Sox

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has a lot to smile about this spring. (AP)

Though it may be difficult for New England baseball fans to imagine, two major leagues teams suffered catastrophic collapses to end last season, and no, the Red Sox didn't do it twice.

The Atlanta Braves gave up a 10.5-game lead with 30 games to play last fall, and the team they let in, the St. Louis Cardinals, ended up winning the World Series. The great Jayson Stark wrote a great piece yesterday highlighting the differences in how the Braves and Red Sox handled their collapses.

You could argue that the Red Sox needed to make sweeping changes to change the culture of the team, and you could also say that management gave in to the pressure-cooker that is the Boston sports scene. The Braves did neither of those things, partly because Atlanta's not that kind of pro sports town.

Elder statesman Chipper Jones said as much in Stark's article:

"You've got a franchise here that's not going to buckle to pressure from the fan base or pressure from the media," said Chipper Jones, a man starting his 22nd spring training with this franchise. "I'm by no means comparing the two -- the fan base or the media, because I know it's multiplied by 50 up there. And I don't know what it's like up there on a daily basis. But I do appreciate that here, we don't go out and make a move just to make a move."

The other main reason the Braves didn't do much this season--aside from trading Derek Lowe and cutting Alex Gonzalez--is because they believe that they have the pieces to again be one of the best teams in the National League. Atlanta went 80-55 before September, and it has the players to be even more effective in 2012, even more so than the Red Sox. Here are five reasons why.

- Duh, the AL East is a monster. The American League East is baseball's version of the SEC West, with the Red Sox and Yankees playing the roles of LSU and Alabama. The Rays are Arkansas, considered the third-best team, but clearly they're capable of beating the Sox and Yanks, as they've shown in recent years. The Orioles and Blue Jays are Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and it doesn't matter which. Both are a little irrelevant. The point is three of these teams are capable of making the playoffs every year, which makes each season a gauntlet.

- The NL East is more interesting this season, but not necessarily more difficult. There's a lot of hand wringing among Braves fans concerning what other teams did in the offseason, but it's not necessary. Yes, the Phillies added Jonathan Papelbon. True, the Nationals added pitchers like Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson and Brad Lidge to go along with Stephen Strasburg's return and possibly Bryce Harper's debut. Indeed, the Marlins got Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buerhle. To all that, I say this: the Phillies are a year away from their window closing, and the Marlins and Nats have to prove on the field that they're actually better.

  

- The bullpen can get better. Throughout last season, the Braves' trio of Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel and Eric O'Flaherty were arguably the best group in the league at closing out games. The problem was they were used too often, and it caught up with them in September. Atlanta played in 55 one-run games last season, tied with the Giants for the most by any NL team that finished with a winning record. The Braves also played in  26 extra-inning games, the most by any team since the 1992 Cardinals. A better offense will help spell a terrific young bullpen.

- Jason Heyward and Dan Uggla will be better. It's hard to believe that Heyward will have a worse year than he did in 2011. Injuries and inconsistent play contributed to drops in all major categories, including batting average (.277 to .227), OPS (.849 to .708) and walks (91 to 51). A team-record 33-game hitting streak helped Uggla get above the Mendoza line, but he hit .223, not very good for a guy with a $60 million contract. Both Heyward and Uggla should be more consistent this season.

- The young pitching is on the way. Atlanta has one of the better starting rotations in the NL with Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson (slated for a May return), Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor. Youngsters Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado are competing with Minor for the No. 5 slot. The Braves also get back Kris Medlen, who was 5-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 starts in 2010 before blowing out his elbow. Medlen, 26, will be in the bullpen along with Atlanta's top overall prospect, righty Arodys Viscaino. Needless to say, a franchise known for pitching is as stocked with live arms than it's ever been.