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2008 You could say he took a step backwards last year, but it would be more accurate to say that McCann's 2006 season was the one out of line, and that his 2007 was a better fit with his career progression. Forget '06 and look at him as a 23-year-old, left-handed-hitting catcher that provides league-average offense and defense, but needs to get back to being a bit more selective at the plate. He's still a star in the making. 2007 Most of 2005`s `Baby Braves` entered their terrible twos in 2006, but McCann was the gifted child, already annotating his leatherbound copy of Hop on Pop. He finished second to Joe Mauer in VORP among major league catchers; the two of them will vie for the top of the charts as long as they each remain behind the plate. McCann added some lift to his swing in 2006, pulling on more pitches and raising his line drive and fly ball rates to the level of other star major league hitters. Given his offensive profile, his .338 BABIP is not a fluke. As long as the power spike holds, he may become the Braves` most valuable property. 2006 When injuries claimed both Estrada and Perez, McCann got called up and never looked back. He homered in his second game, and made such an impression on starter John Smoltz that he soon became his personal catcher. By August he was carrying the bulk of the catching load and drawing high marks for handling a staff in flux all season and holding his own with the stick. Though he didn`t flash a lot of it at the major-league level, he`s got plenty of power, as anybody who tuned into the Division Series--when he homered twice--could tell you. The surprise was his plate discipline; between Mississippi and Atlanta, he drew an unintentional walk for every 9.9 at-bats, compared to once every 15.4 coming into the year. The Braves liked what they saw and dealt Estrada, so the job is McCann`s to lose. 2005 McCann mans a key position and boasts a light-tower stroke. Normally, we'd be higher on a guy who slugs nearly .500 in Myrtle Beach at age 20, but there's cause for dampened enthusiasm. First, it's highly doubtful he'll stick at catcher; Jarrod Saltalamacchia is ahead of him on the depth charts, and the Braves privately don't care for McCann's defense. Second, his swing is long, his bat is a bit on the slow side, and he has sub-optimal plate discipline. In other words, it'll be surprising if those power numbers hold up at the higher levels.
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