Pencilled in as the regular leftfielder, but between trade rumors, Kelly Johnson, and the likelyhood that the Braves would like to add one more bat, that pencil is pretty light. I like Langerhans, but he’s a lot less attactive compared to the league instead of Braul Jordesi. He doesn’t have Johnson’s upside or the one dominant skill that jumps out at you. Compared in the minors to Paul O’Neill, though I doubt he’s that good.

He’s a hard player to fit into some lineups. He doesn’t have the power of a 3-4-5 hitter, and doesn’t “seem” like a leadoff or #2 hitter, though he might be the Braves’ best fit for the latter position. Really, a natural #6 hitter. Hit .267/.348/.426 last season in his first extensive Major League playing time, right on what he hit in the minors. He was a lot better than that in his last minor league season, Richmond in 2004, when he hit .298/.397/.518. Maybe he can up his batting average to that range, which would make him a lot more valuable even if he doesn’t add power. My guess is that he will play regularly, either in Atlanta or somewhere else, for the next three or four years, then settle into a career as a backup. I’m also guessing that once he turns thirty, he won’t be a player you’ll want for more than one year; I just don’t see him aging well.

Has a good defensive rep, and looked good out there to me and everyone else, but the stats don’t really back it up. Considering the chaos that was the Braves’ corner outfield most of the season, I’m going to let that slide. A good baserunner, and pretty fast, but 0-2 as a basestealer last season, coming off being a .500 basestealer in the high minors, so you don’t want him running too much, another reason he won’t hit high in the order.

Ryan Langerhans Statistics – Baseball-Reference.com