Another Young Star Emerges in 2009 in the MLB

With the recent call up of players like David Price and Matt Weiters there has been a lot of excitement around the league revolving around the young superstars of tomorrow. Another star was called up with week as the Atlanta Braves handed the ball over to top prospect Tommy Hanson. Earlier in the week the Braves released future hall of famer Tom Glavine to try and make room for Hanson as they feel he is ready to make a MLB impact. While Hanson had some dominant stretches in his major league debut, he was eventually lit up for 7 runs, 6 earned and was a victim of the long ball.

This doesn’t mean that Hanson's debut was a total failure as he showed just how good he can be and was purely dominant at times. He struck out the side in the 2^nd inning and didn’t allow the Milwaukee Brewers to get anything going through 4 innings. However he eventually allowed 3 two home runs, but escaped without getting the loss thanks to a big night from Chipper Jones. Chipper Jones went 4 for 4 on the night with 5 RBI's to salvage the win. Ryan Braun had two 2 run home runs and Mike Cameron had another 2 run bomb for the Brewers. Braves fans have been waiting a long time to see what Hanson can bring to the majors and on Sunday he brought a little bit of everything to the table. He showed that he has all the tools , some powerful pitches and the ability to be an excellent starter, but he still has a lot to learn.

One of the main lessons that Hanson learned was just how far and how hard misplaced fastballs are hit in the Major Leagues. Each of the three home runs hit of Hanson came on fastballs that Hanson was unable to place where he wanted to and the Brewers took advantage. The exciting part of the game for Braves fans was when Hanson used just 12 pitches to strike out Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron and Mat Gamel all in the 2^nd inning. Hanson also showed great control as he did not allow a walk in the game up until the 6^th inning and was steadily able to hit 97 MPH on the radar gun. A few things seem to be certain with Tommy Hanson. He is the real deal and will be around in the league for quite some time, but that does not mean there isn’t going to be a steady learning curve for his initiation into the MLB. It is an exciting time for Braves fans as they get the chance to watch this young stud right hander progress and try to carry on the legacy of pitching that has always been evident in Atlanta. From guys like John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, Hanson has a tough road ahead to prove himself, but definitely has the talent and the ability to do so.