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.