early returns

The personality of the 2010 Mississippi Braves is emerging. They’ve got a strong rotation, even if it’s young. Mike Minor, last year’s top pick, is on a fast track, and for good reason. There is no shortage of quality arms in the bullpen, which has been sensational to date. Forget the early strikeout problems — this team will hit. The lineup is stocked with players who have been — should be? — in Triple-A. They’ve experienced it all. They’ll probably hit with more power than they’ve shown so far. Cody Johnson and 26-year-old Cuban Donell Linares, both prospects of some caliber, certainly have double-figure home run capability, as does Mauro Gomez, another first-year Double-A player who’ll turn 26 in September. It’s not a great defensive club. Veteran shortstop Luis Bolivar has been surprisingly shaky. The outfield has turned a lot of routine fly balls into extra-base hits. It’s also not a team blessed with speed, which manager Phillip Wellman says he takes as a challenge. He likes to run. With this club, he said, he’ll have to make adjustments in strategy and pick his spots. Like Thursday night, when he called for a double steal that worked and produced a run. Wellman is a good manager. He can make this work, even with this club’s shortcomings.