2017 Brewers Optimism Thread!

[SomewhereInTime]

Cubs Lose! The Division lead remains at 1 game and the magic number falls to 102.

[AKCheesehead]

Your Milwaukee Brewers are playing .500+ baseball after just two down years while the Phillies still play terrible baseball in what is now their 5th year, have an ugly looking MLB squad, and their farm system isn't that great for a team that has been terrible for 4+ years. We are quite lucky with how things are looking for us.

 

It's gotta stink to be PhillieFan. They'll always have '08 though.

[RobDeer 45]

This is pretty impressive and pretty cool right now. I went in to the season without expectations for wins. All I had hoped for was to see a team that plays hard and gets better as the year goes on. I know there will be some skids in the future, but this has been really fun so far. Makes me happy.

[Boomer5]

Its time to give CC his due. He has done a great job with this roster. He is a keeper for the long term.

[A Swing and A Drive]

I agree that Craig Counsell has really been a great manager to this point.

 

I think his experience as a player (and a bench player) has really giving him a knack for setting lineups/matchups, giving days off when needed, and bullpen usage.

 

Just this past home stand, I noticed that Villar and Thames both had big games the game after an off day.

[pacopete4]

Two game lead in the central on June 10th!

[SomewhereInTime]

Two game lead in the central on June 10th!

 

Magic number down to 100!

[Montezuma]

Competitive and entertaining...

[SomewhereInTime]

99 and counting after the Cubs loss, we're down to double digits!

[SomewhereInTime]

The Cubs keep losing, magic number down to 98

[torts]

I mean, if you had told me i'd be rooting for a first place team in mid June in 2017, I thought you'd be talking about Pittsburgh. SO GLAD THAT IS NOT REALITY!

 

Huge series this week, lets keep it goin! Bring up more talent! Bolster the roster!

[bork]

They've played 9 more games at home vs away. That means they've got a lot more road games coming up, where they have played better.

[Ennder]

Upcoming schedule.

 

3 vs Padres

4 vs Pirates

3 @ Braves

3 @ Reds

3 vs Marlins

3 vs Orioles

 

There is no reason the Brewers can't have a winning record over that period.

 

1 @ Cubs

3 @ Yankees

 

All Star break

 

Even going 1 and 3 probably sees the Brewers at or over .500 at the all star break.

 

3 vs Phillies

4 @ Pirates

3 @ Phillies

 

That is through July 23rd. A very soft schedule coming up. It is sort of a mixed blessing because at that point I'm not sure how to treat the trade deadline. I won't talk about the schedule for the month after that because this is the optimism thread.

[tmwiese55]

I was just looking at the schedule too. Very good for the next 3 weeks or so which should hopefully allow the team to stay above 500 and involved in the race longer even if Chicago picks it up. Chances are they're not a real playoff contender, but I'm just happy with the longer they keep hanging around the more we can be entertained by it and still have that chance at one hot/luck streak that gets them in. And really if they could just get one or two relievers besides Knebel to start performing it would make a huge difference.

[torts]

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT? WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME!! NOTHING BUT THE TOP OF THE HEAP FOR THIS GROUP! WE ARE GOING TO DO IT!

[bjkrautk]

I was just looking at the schedule too. Very good for the next 3 weeks or so which should hopefully allow the team to stay above 500 and involved in the race longer even if Chicago picks it up. Chances are they're not a real playoff contender, but I'm just happy with the longer they keep hanging around the more we can be entertained by it and still have that chance at one hot/luck streak that gets them in. And really if they could just get one or two relievers besides Knebel to start performing it would make a huge difference.

 

This is the Optimism thread; not the Guarded Optimism thread. They're a playoff team until the season is over and the standings say otherwise!

[tmwiese55]

Haha, sorry guys. You're right, that was too realistic...

[A Swing and A Drive]

The Brewers 2017 first round draft pick will win more than 50 games as a Brewer, vaulting him past the great Scott Karl into the Top 15 of all-time!

[rcc]

I feel optimistic this afternoon because Stearns finally got rid of Feliz. No more batting practice for the opposing team.

 

This team has done so well being in first place in spite of Feliz and a couple of others in that bullpen. Starting pitching still doing well, hitting for the most part is doing well, the new closer is doing well. Now to get that bullpen in sync with the rest of the team.

[pacopete4]

After last nights barn burner, the Brewers can't lose another series against the Cards.

[FVBrewerFan]

The Brewers 2017 first round draft pick will win more than 50 games as a Brewer, vaulting him past the great Scott Karl into the Top 15 of all-time!

 

Even though he's not a pitcher, I still like his odds of passing Scott Karl.

[MoreTrife]

Once hader gets comfortable, I think he could help some of our middle relief issues. Heck maybe espino too. We have many options from within to fix our minor issues.

 

And as others have noted, we've done this without Braun and with Broxton and villar slumping. Other than Sogard and thames for one month, no one is playing out of their minds.

 

Bodes well.

[pacopete4]

Upcoming schedule.

 

3 vs Padres

4 vs Pirates

3 @ Braves

3 @ Reds

3 vs Marlins

3 vs Orioles

 

There is no reason the Brewers can't have a winning record over that period.

 

1 @ Cubs

3 @ Yankees

 

All Star break

 

Even going 1 and 3 probably sees the Brewers at or over .500 at the all star break.

 

3 vs Phillies

4 @ Pirates

3 @ Phillies

 

That is through July 23rd. A very soft schedule coming up. It is sort of a mixed blessing because at that point I'm not sure how to treat the trade deadline. I won't talk about the schedule for the month after that because this is the optimism thread.

 

I would say they are at a tipping point. There's a chance here to pull themselves away from the pack and pad their record if they can get hot. I am thinking at least 20-13 in that stretch. That would put this team at 55/56-45/46 (depending on today's STL games). That would get them on a 89-90 game pace which would put them right in the mix for the division and possibly a 2nd WC spot depending on the other teams.

[Fear The Chorizo]

This portion of their schedule comes at a perfect time relative to the trade deadline - if the Brewers are going to win the division or remain in serious contention for a W.C. berth, they need to go on a roll this next month. If they scuffle and open the door for other NL Central teams to overtake them and lose sight of the W.C. spots, they'll have ample time to make some moves at the deadline to improve the young talent base of the organization for 2018.

[JimH5]

This team is really entertaining!

 

So many guys playing better than I expected.

 

With the rest of the division scuffling along, they have a chance.

 

Pitching depth in the rotation and bullpen will be the key.