In 2017, the Milwaukee Brewers just barely missed the playoffs after having had their best season since the beginning of the decade. But the disappointment was limited, they had licked their blood. A new attack is to be launched in 2018 with renewed momentum.
Only four times at all the Brewers were in the playoffs. Formerly seattle pilots in 1969 in the American League West and moving to Milwaukee after just one year, the team was even in the World Series in 1982, but lost to St. Stephen’s side in the World Series. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Since moving to the National League in 1998, there have only been two more playoffs since then. Most recently, the NLCS 2011 was achieved, in which they again failed because of the Cardinals. 2011 also marked the only divisional victory in the NL for the team from Wisconsin.
At that time everything looked like the beginning of a new era. Superstar Ryan Braun was voted MVP, Closer John Axford was Reliever of the Year and First Baseman Prince Fielder won his second Silver Slugger Award.
But afterwards the Brew crew went downhill anyway. Five maue years followed, in which they only scored more than 80 victories twice. Fielder wandered right in the middle of it to Detroit, while more or less big names came and went. The team never played a role. 2015 and 2016 ended the years with a gap of at least 30 games to the top of the division.
In 2017, however, things were noticeably uphill. Young savages were integrated into the team and took on responsibility. In the outfield, people like Domingo Santana or Keon Broxton shone brilliantly, Boston import Travis Shaw played an outstanding first season in Miller Park and Asian returnee Eric Thames surprised everyone with his constant power.
In the end there was no game on the Colorado Rockies for a wildcard, six on the Cubs in the Central. But the conviction was there: The Brewers are again relevant.
With this new self-confidence, the off-season was also tackled. In addition to other top athlete Lorenzo Cain from Kansas City, the Free Agency won a trade with the Miami Marlins for star outfielder Christian Yelich, one of the bigger fish on this year’s trade market.
Believing the statistic foxes, these two should be enough to help the Brewers make their breakthrough. Both were good for more than 4 Wins above Replacement in the previous year – that would be more than enough in case of a backlog! Theoretically, of course.
Overall, it is noticeable that the line-up of the Brewers is a healthy mix of older, younger, and best aged players. Experience is available, as well as youthful freshness. And a lot of dynamics, considering that three players – Yelich, Cain and Jonathan Villar – could steal 25 to 30 bases. Milwaukee was already leading the National League last year with 128 Steals.
The same was true for the Homeruns (224), but not for the Runs as a whole, because the Brewers only finished in 10th place with 732 runs. A discrepancy that needs to be eliminated. As a new lead-off hitter, Yelich in particular should help to ensure that there is not too much reliance on the long ball in the future.
Ryan Braun, the face of the franchise for more than ten years, stands for experience and homeruns. The former MVP will play a key role this season as he is expected to man the first base to make room in the outfield for Yelich and Co. to create.
Salopp formulated is the first base basically the Designated Hitter of the National League.”If you’re not good in the field, you just play first base”is a common view of things. But the problem is that this position also needs to be learned. Braun has never played First Base before in his entire career, so the first steps are difficult. In his rookie season he gave the third baseman, but not a good one, so he was quickly sent to the left field.
I had no idea what I was getting into,”he says,” but the team is in the foreground and he thinks “it will obviously help us to become a better team and achieve our goals”.
On the pitching side, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the bullpen lately. The Starting Pitcher pitched the fourth least innings of the National League. Correspondingly effective – and active – was the Bullpen, in which Closer Cory Knebel stood out.
However, the Brewers are well aware that a lot was demanded of the reliefs. Correspondingly, they got three new pitchers for the pen. The rotation was reinforced by Jhoulys Chacin, who was imported from San Diego.
All in all, this squad seems to be made for big tasks, just because high quality hitter will only sit on the bench. Especially Thames and Eric Sogard would probably be safe starters elsewhere. One can also cope with the fact that the attacking catcher Stephen Vogt starts the season on the DL and number 2 pitcher Zach Davies with muscle problems threatens to miss the start of the season. Shooting star Jimmy Nelson is even not expected back until June after a shoulder operation.
Should Davies actually fail, the top pitching prospectus Brandon Woodruff could even enter the press at the beginning of the year. He would bring much-needed youth to the Ü30 troop, which will probably be complemented by Wade Miley due to the Nelson failure.
Woodruff is one of three – or four, if you ask Baseball Prospectus or Baseball America – top 100 prospects of the Brewers. Besides Woodruff, only Outfielder Brett Phillips is really close to the majors. Given the current human resources situation, Phillips’ chances for MLB assignments are rather low.
All in all, the team appears to be prepared for a major attack. It should be clear, however, that pitching rotation could be the weakest link again. The Bullpen will once again have to take on an enormous workload and that is where the biggest risk for Milwaukee lies. Relief pitcher are not always constant and may break under this pressure for the second year in a row.
On the other hand, there should be more on the offensive than before, as the newcomers at the head of the batting order are not part of the hop or topp group, which includes some of the team’s players.
However, if this mixture of the more balanced offensive and the pitching strengthened by the bullpen additions leads to the desired reaction, then you could see baseball again in Miller Park in October.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.