2015 Regular Season Optimism Thread

[tmwiese55]

I think we're about to get hot.

 

· In his first full season, RHP Jimmy Nelson has worked 20 innings (3 starts) with a 1.35 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 4 walks. He was brilliant Wednesday night against the Reds, working 8 innings and allowing 1 run and 3 hits.

· RHP Kyle Lohse provided the Brewers with their 2nd consecutive quality start yesterday by working 7 innings and allowing 2 runs against the Reds.

· Francisco Rodriguez earned a career milestone yesterday by collecting his 350th save.

· On the current homestand, Ryan Braun has collected 5 hits (.313) and hit a home run.

· Since the start of 2013, Jean Segura ranks among qualified National League Shortstops in several categories: Batting Average (1st, .272), Stolen Bases (1st, 67) Hits (3rd, 316), Singles (1st, 245), Triples (2nd, 16), Runs (3rd, 142).

· LHP Will Smith has worked 6 games in 2015, allowing zero runs (0.00 ERA) and 1 hit.

· LHP Kodi Medeiros has worked 15.1 innings this year for A-Wisconsin. He has a 2.93 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and has struck out 20 thus far in his first full pro season.

· 2013 14th Round Draft Pick, LHP Hobbs Johnson is off to a great start at AA-Biloxi. He’s made 3 starts and allowed 1 run (0.79 ERA) and struck out 13 hitters in 11.1 innings.

· The Brewers' top prospect, 20-year old SS Orlando Arcia is on a current 6 game hitting streak (10-20, .500) and is now hitting .450 through 13 games (18-40) with AA-Biloxi. Arcia signed with the Brewers as a 16-year old in October, 2010.

· Brewers 2012 1st Round Pick (28th), OF Victor Roache, is hitting .352 (19-54) with 2 doubles, a triple and 3 home runs for High A-Brevard County.

· Brewers 2012 1st Round Pick (27th), OF Clint Coulter, is hitting .327 (17-52) with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 5 home runs for High A-Brevard County. His 5 home runs and .731 SLG % both lead the Florida State League

[craigharmann]

One more and we have a winning streak!!!!!!!!!

[torts]

I CONSIDER ONE WIN A STREAK RIGHT NOW!!!!!

[SRB]

Some optimism from (in my opinion) the best hitting and pitching prospects in the system (not counting Lara):

 

Orlando Arcia, Biloxi (AA), 52 PA, .455/.510/.568/1.078

 

Kodi Medeiros, Wisconsin (A), 15.1 IP, 2.93 ERA, 0.783 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9

 

(*Edit* See above, much better post by tmwiese )

[tmwiese55]

My season ticket rep sends those out every Friday and I think they're very good. Not sure if all their sales guys do it or not, but it gives good updates on minor leaguers and some stats you don't see anywhere else.

[JohnBriggs12]

The April schedule is finished after today! A win will up the winning percentage for the month to .227 which is better than May 2013's .214!

[torts]

The April schedule is finished after today! A win will up the winning percentage for the month to .227 which is better than May 2013's .214!

 

HELL YES!!!!

[torts]

NOW THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT! END THE MONTH ON A HIGH NOTE! CARRY IT IN TO MAY! GO 22-7 IN MAY!!! COME IN TO JUNE AT .500! THE REST IS HISTORY BABBBYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

[bjkrautk]

At least they're hitting today!

 

Davis hitting his 1st homer should help, as he's been pressing for the past few weeks to get one.

[Ennder]

4 series sweeps and we are right back at .500! Lets get her done.

[The stache]

Some optimism from (in my opinion) the best hitting and pitching prospects in the system (not counting Lara):

 

Orlando Arcia, Biloxi (AA), 52 PA, .455/.510/.568/1.078

 

Kodi Medeiros, Wisconsin (A), 15.1 IP, 2.93 ERA, 0.783 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9

 

(*Edit* See above, much better post by tmwiese )

 

Holy hell, I need to keep my eye on Arcia. It's only AA, and his numbers have dropped some, but 18 games, he still has a 1.000 OPS.

 

I was high on the kid defensively, hoping his bat would come along, and expecting he'd be a pretty decent hitter. But this is a nice reassurance of that. Let's see if he can keep hitting at a nice clip. If he could stay in the high .280s the rest of the year, or even flirt with .300, I'd be thrilled. Absolutely thrilled!

[The stache]

Oooo, and Orlando Arcia has a 2015 Bowman Chrome certified auto. Time to pick a few of those up!

[Outlander]

Thankfully the Luis Jimenez experiment has come to an end. I'll be optimistic in thinking that Jason Rogers will be able to improve on defense because he can sure hit.

[DHonks]

Just thought I'd point out that we're .500 in May and we have a chance to win our first series. It's a marathon boys! So what if we had a bad side-ache in the first few miles, now we have a chance to make up ground!

[SoupTown]

Interesting that Doug today said we have been a .500 team for a while. And .500 teams make the playoffs in NBA and NHL... but not MLB. So, it seems, hopefully, that Doug's goal is not for us to be happy to be a .500 team.

[DHonks]

I'd love to win championships. But here's a situation to ponder. I know what TheCrew thinks, but what about others:

 

15 of 20 years over .500, ~4-6 years of them in playoffs

4 of 20 years near 100 wins and true championship caliber teams, with the other in-between years spent re-tooling and rebuilding, including several 60-win seasons

 

I'd rather have the team that is consistently good. If we can be good enough to be an 85-90 win team consistently, that will make us enjoyable. After the 1990s and early 2000s, I'm sick of 60-75 win baseball.

[SoupTown]

I think a six year cycle makes sense.

 

1) you are very, very poor win-wise for a couple of years while you have almost all young guys playing - hoping to find a dozen or so that are real major leaguers; your payroll is cheap, awaiting the spend of part 3)

 

2) for years 3 and 4, your dozen MLB youngsters are performing; you slot in a couple of new rookies and you grab a couple free agents and you grab a couple 23 to 25 man grizzled vets; your payroll is at your midpoint

 

3) for years 5 and 6 your dozen rookies of 1) are now nearing free agency; so your arby costs are up; your free agents of 2) you signed for 3 to 4 years, so their tenure is coming to an end; if you need another special guy you sign him in free agency; you may trade for him, but that is last resort, because you will damage your next cylce; note your new rookies of 2) are not yet arby, but have a couple years experience... you now have an EXPENSIVE team, but your best team; the money you saved in 1), you now spend

 

I would happily watch and follow a 60 win team in 1) if they had heaps of young upside guys.

 

I think, unless you are so, so, so wise, like the Cardinals, you cannot be good year in and year out. Note how Cardinals keep letting guys go when they seem very, very good. Yet, always, the Cardinals have traded high, saved money, and get prospects. The mob running that show are so much better than our management.

 

In conclusion... 2 years crap, 2 years average (with a 'maybe' hope), and 2 years very good.... I will like that model.

[DHonks]

I think we need to do a better job of re-tooling, but there's a problem. In order to follow the Rays/A's model of constantly re-tooling we need to draft better and develop pitching better. Yo landed a nice package. With Wily in year 3, we should be pondering if we can extend him for 5 years or should consider trading him next year. Fiers is developing into a nice starter. Given that we probably have him under control for 4 more years, we should try to sell him after 2015 or 2016.

 

Still, I'd like to see us play .600+ ball in May and start to climb back into this. The A's and Rays never really rebuild. They just re-tool.

[superfly]

6-18...all we need is a 12 game winning streak and we're back in the playoff chase! LOL

 

If Ryan Braun keeps smacking a HR every day it might be a possibility.

[pacopete4]

Need to win 2 of 3 for the next 10 series or so...

 

20-10 + 6-18= 26-28... Right back in it!

[DHonks]

well, one series down. 2-1 in May. A 6-4 homestead would be awfully nice.

[torts]

IF THE POWER OF CRAIG CANT MAKE THIS HAPPEN I DONT KNOW IF ANYTHING ELSE COULD~!!!!!!!

[torts]

3 IN A ROW BABY!!! I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I AM FEELIN THE CRAIGGER!!!!!

[DHonks]

4-2 in May; 2-1 homestead so far, 2 straight series that we haven't lost! Fiers tomorrow for the series win, following that against the Cubs with Nelson, Lohse, and Garza. Still feeling good for that 6-4 homestead idea. I still love this rotation. The offense is showing some glimpses! Go Brewers! Time to win some series!

[Outlander]

Looking at the schedule for May if they are going to make a run this will probably be the month to do it, lots of series they could win coming up.