2016 Milwaukee Brewers Positive Post Thread

[fondybrewfan]

Brewers have 3 of the Top 11 in the NL for OPS. Two make some sense; not so much the 3rd.

 

If Carter can even remotely keep up this production he will be the steal of the offseason. With his slugging if he can just keep the OBP above 300 or so he should be considered incredibly valuable. He is not going to OPS 970 for the entire year but even 850 would be a hell of a steal for what we are paying him.

 

Also Braun is on fire right now

[JohnBriggs12]

Nobody can be hitting is worse luck than Aaron Hill. His BABIP is .200, despite a line drive percentage of 36%, nearly double the league average. His last 2 AB's last night could be signs his overall numbers will start reflecting how well he's squaring up the ball but he could have easily had a 4 for 4 night. Took a spectacular back to the infield grab of liner over CF's head the first time up. Next time up, he hit a one bounce rocket right at the SS. A few feet either way and that's a hit.

[pacopete4]

Nobody can be hitting is worse luck than Aaron Hill. His BABIP is .200, despite a line drive percentage of 36%, nearly double the league average. His last 2 AB's last night could be signs his overall numbers will start reflecting how well he's squaring up the ball.

 

 

Good post. i've been very hard on this guy. Mainly because I want to see Walsh play but I guess in the end, if Hill gets his act together and hits, it can only be a good thing for this years team and moving forward with trying to move him.

[stoutdude04]

I have already gone to more games this year than last year. This team is just more fun to watch even if they lose. They take pitches and wait to try and drive something, and the young players are enjoyable to cheer for. Taking in another game Saturday and I can't wait.

[DougJonesChangeUp]

I'm thankful I don't have to watch Carlos Gomez swing out of his shoes every game.

[pacopete4]

I have already gone to more games this year than last year. This team is just more fun to watch even if they lose. They take pitches and wait to try and drive something, and the young players are enjoyable to cheer for. Taking in another game Saturday and I can't wait.

 

 

Yes! When this team finds some consistent pitching which I'm hoping Jungmann can figure that part out today, this team will be very exciting.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Only 1 game out of the WC.

 

Braun, Carter and Gennett are mashing. Santana, Lucroy, and Villar are hitting well enough to be playing every day.

 

6 of our 8 starting position players are hitting well. It's just the rest of our offensive players are hitting pretty "blah".

[rwa12]

I like Santana. I have no rational reasoning for this, he seems to have a little "clutch" in him. Most likely wrong about this, and I'm sure he has failed more often than succeeded, but he seems to have come up big a few times early in the season. I enjoy watching him at the plate. Also enjoying the vintage Braun of late.

[MrTPlush]

Also enjoying the vintage Braun of late.

 

Yah I remember back in the day when he poured on the hits, strung together many multi-hit games, and was hitting .333 on the season. Dang that was fun...felt like he could hit anything.

 

Really hope it continues for him so he doesn't end up one of those guys getting paid $20mil to suck.

[trwi7]

The Reds passed the Brewers for worst run differential in the league after being outscored 24-1 in their last two games!

[brewmann04]

Chris Carter will either be our next year 1baseman or get us some prospects at the trade deadline

[EauClaireNWL]

Even if the team isn't very good on paper right now, where they are now versus a year ago is a breath of fresh air. Playing more sound and fundamental baseball at the plate with a group of veteran and young players playing hard together. Given the rebuild that's starting, to me that's about the best you can ask from these guys. Pitching has probably been the biggest issue, but if it's gonna struggle, better to have the youngsters taking their licks then watch overpaid aging vets like Garza and Lohse getting shelled every 5 days and having their respective ERAs balloon over 6 like last season.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Given the rebuild that's starting, to me that's about the best you can ask from these guys. Pitching has probably been the biggest issue, but if it's gonna struggle,.

 

I'm really disappointed that Jungmann has been as bad as he has been. I thought (or was hoping) that he was just tired later in the year last year. So far his velocity is down and he just doesn't look good. Davies hasn't looked good either.

 

In keeping with the 'Positive' vibe though, I'm hoping it's just early season stuff and not the league figuring these guys out. I want Jungmann to be a decent 3-4 type guy, and Davies to be a decent 4-5.

[MadScientist]

The Brewers have six starters with OBP at or above .348. They are not far from giving the staff some solid run support.

 

Peralta was much better yesterday. Jeffress is perfect on save chances, and looking every bit the closer we hoped he could develop into.

[pacopete4]

IF this team can figure out how to get some decent starting pitching, they will hang around .500 I believe. I'm still holding out hope the Jungmann is just going through some dead arm period and he will start ticking up into the 92-94mph category because he needs to.

 

Braun is smoking the ball.

Carter is smoking the ball.

Lucroy is doing solid.

Scooter and Villar are doing a nice job up the middle and offensively.

Santana is about where we expected him to be offensively.

Jeffress has been perfect in save situations which can lead to a possible trade later on.

Nelson is our ace and has pitched like it.

Thornburg looks like a very nice back end piece to the bullpen as well.

[JohnBriggs12]

Other than Hill, who's hit in incredible bad luck and still gives them a professional AB consistently, Maldonado, who's playing time is sporadic, and whoever's been in CF, the rest of the everyday lineup has exceeded expectations. It's actually a positive that what's separating them from being a good team so far lies almost entirely in one group, and that's the starting pitching and there's at least some hope that can be fixed at least partially from within. We know Peralta's better than he's been and that Davies showed in September that he can pitch up here and Anderson's at least capable of some good efforts. Some improvement there and they'll certainly be watchable most of the year, unless they deal off more than just Lucroy and Hill in July and the lineup gets completely gutted. I'm hoping against hope that a Lucroy deal will bring back a bona fide major league ready starter with some ability so that the final two months we'll actually see improvement even minus an All Star quality catcher.

 

There for all of you that think I'm always being negative!!

[monty57]

Other than Hill, who's hit in incredible bad luck and still gives them a professional AB consistently, Maldonado, who's playing time is sporadic, and whoever's been in CF, the rest of the everyday lineup has exceeded expectations.

 

Fortunately, our two top prospects can fill those holes before too long. By next year, Phillips should man CF, and if Villar keeps playing well, he can move to 3B with Arcia taking over at SS. If that plays out, we have every defensive position other than catcher filled with someone who is under team control for years.

 

Then we just need to get a stud pitching prospect in the Lucroy package to fit in with the rest of our young pitching, and we have a solid foundation with boatloads of cap room to add to payroll.

[FVBrewerFan]

The Brewers have 5 players who have a possible shot at playing in the ALL Star game, and that doesn't even include Nelson and Santana. Braun and Jeffress are in if they continue this pace. Lucroy, Carter, and Scooter are all in the mix at this early stage of the season.

 

No, I'm not THAT optimistic. I understand all 5 won't make it....but still interesting.

[logan82]

Other than Hill, who's hit in incredible bad luck and still gives them a professional AB consistently, Maldonado, who's playing time is sporadic, and whoever's been in CF, the rest of the everyday lineup has exceeded expectations.

 

Fortunately, our two top prospects can fill those holes before too long. By next year, Phillips should man CF, and if Villar keeps playing well, he can move to 3B with Arcia taking over at SS. If that plays out, we have every defensive position other than catcher filled with someone who is under team control for years.

 

Then we just need to get a stud pitching prospect in the Lucroy package to fit in with the rest of our young pitching, and we have a solid foundation with boatloads of cap room to add to payroll.

Nottingham has looked very good so far.

[pacopete4]

Other than Hill, who's hit in incredible bad luck and still gives them a professional AB consistently, Maldonado, who's playing time is sporadic, and whoever's been in CF, the rest of the everyday lineup has exceeded expectations.

 

Fortunately, our two top prospects can fill those holes before too long. By next year, Phillips should man CF, and if Villar keeps playing well, he can move to 3B with Arcia taking over at SS. If that plays out, we have every defensive position other than catcher filled with someone who is under team control for years.

 

Then we just need to get a stud pitching prospect in the Lucroy package to fit in with the rest of our young pitching, and we have a solid foundation with boatloads of cap room to add to payroll.

Nottingham has looked very good so far.

 

 

Was that supposed to be in blue? Looking at his stats they are pretty bad.

[homer]

Apparently Nottingham's defense has been good. I'm assuming that's what he meant.

[pacopete4]

Apparently Nottingham's defense has been good. I'm assuming that's what he meant.

 

 

Oh well than that's good to hear. I just happened to look him up and he was below the Mendoza line. Hoping he's a stud. Solves a huge catcher hole in our organization.

[adambr2]

IF this team can figure out how to get some decent starting pitching, they will hang around .500 I believe. I'm still holding out hope the Jungmann is just going through some dead arm period and he will start ticking up into the 92-94mph category because he needs to.

 

Braun is smoking the ball.

Carter is smoking the ball.

Lucroy is doing solid.

Scooter and Villar are doing a nice job up the middle and offensively.

Santana is about where we expected him to be offensively.

Jeffress has been perfect in save situations which can lead to a possible trade later on.

Nelson is our ace and has pitched like it.

Thornburg looks like a very nice back end piece to the bullpen as well.

 

I like Nelson a lot, but he is our defacto ace because we have no one better. He's not an ace on most contenders and by the time we come out of this rebuild we're going to need a dominant true ace ahead of him in the rotation.

 

We need to find/draft our Arrieta, Kershaw, or Bumgarner. I don't think Nelson is that guy.

[FVBrewerFan]

I agree Nelson is not the ace on a title contending staff. Of course an Arrieta would solve a world of problems, but I think they can win without a dominant ace. What if the rotation consisted of 5 Jimmy Nelson's, or close to that, along with a great bullpen and really solid line-up and defense?

[monty57]

We need to find/draft our Arrieta, Kershaw, or Bumgarner. I don't think Nelson is that guy.

 

You don't necessarily need a Cy Young talent at the top of the rotation, but I get your point. I know prospects flame out, and pitching prospects probably even more than position prospects, but we do have a pretty good stable of pitchers in the minors, so hopefully we will have a good homegrown rotation in a few years.

 

Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, I hope that the eventual Lucroy trade brings back a stud SP, and I wouldn't be surprised if, when we are on the other side of this rebuild, we make a big play for a top-of-the-rotation SP. We will have a lot of money, and if things pan out, we shouldn't need to spend a ton to upgrade the offense. Therefore, if the new regime decides to pick up a $20M+ player, it would likely be a starting pitcher.

 

Nottingham has looked very good so far.

 

Yeah, I'm very high on him, and I'm very hopeful that he will fill the catcher position for the Brewers for a long time. I just mentioned Phillips and Arcia because they are our current "can't miss" guys. The most positive thing I can think of about this team is that we have a number of guys (Nottingham included) who could step into that "can't miss" status soon. If a few of these guys take the next step, the future could look really good.