2019 Brewers' pitching staff

[Eye Black]

From Adam McCalvy's most recent Brewers.com Inbox article in regards to Brent Suter...

 

Brent Suter is five weeks shy of one year since undergoing Tommy John surgery. Here’s the answer straight from Suter:

 

“I’m throwing bullpens three times a week and I’m feeling great,” Suter said. “I’ll face hitters in three weeks and then I’ll be in rehab mode shortly after that.”

 

So, good news there. Suter has a chance to help the Brewers in late August or September.

[homer]

I realize it's asking a lot for a guy to come back from TJ and contribute the next season but Suter's sort of a unique breed in that he doesn't rely on velocity at all so I wonder if he can pick up right where he left off?

[nate82]

I realize it's asking a lot for a guy to come back from TJ and contribute the next season but Suter's sort of a unique breed in that he doesn't rely on velocity at all so I wonder if he can pick up right where he left off?

 

He does rely on location and that may take a bit to come back or to get a feel for it. I don't expect him to be back until next year.

[Thurston Fluff]

I realize it's asking a lot for a guy to come back from TJ and contribute the next season but Suter's sort of a unique breed in that he doesn't rely on velocity at all so I wonder if he can pick up right where he left off?

 

I'm by no means an expert but I'm not sure velocity is all the relative to stress on the arm. Even with perfect mechanics I could throw at maximum effort and it isn't coming anywhere near 80 mph. Yet I'm pretty sure I'd put as much stress on my arm as someone who threw 100. The motions are the same even if the velocity isn't.

[umphrey]

Good god I hope we aren’t relying on Suter for a playoff push

[lcbj68c]

Tired of watching this rotation. Blow it up and start over. Ridiculous.

[brewmann04]

The biggest setback was the inability of Corbin to pitch in the Rotation and the setback of Chacin .

[brewers888]

So when does Chris Hook take the blame for the complete implosion of the pitching staff. We have most of the same staff as last season and nearly every pitcher is worse and many of them significantly worse than last season. I would fire him alone for how badly Burnes who has top of the rotation stuff has regressed.

 

I am sure there will be plenty of people who say that the pitching coach means little to nothing and that our pitchers have just been unlucky or some nonsense. The truth is the biggest loss this team suffered was Derek Johnson leaving and being replaced by a guy that seems truly incompetent.

[Brew crew 92]

So when does Chris Hook take the blame for the complete implosion of the pitching staff. We have most of the same staff as last season and nearly every pitcher is worse and many of them significantly worse than last season. I would fire him alone for how badly Burnes who has top of the rotation stuff has regressed.

 

I am sure there will be plenty of people who say that the pitching coach means little to nothing and that our pitchers have just been unlucky or some nonsense. The truth is the biggest loss this team suffered was Derek Johnson leaving and being replaced by a guy that seems truly incompetent.

 

Both the players and management like the job Hook is doing, and that’s good enough for me.

 

According to sources, McCalvy earlier in the year, said Hooks strength is mechanics and DJ pitch sequencing.

 

Woodruff Houser Guerra have taken giant steps forward, in Guerra’s case he developed a plus curve since last year, with Hooks help.

 

Just trying to be fair here.

[brewers888]

So when does Chris Hook take the blame for the complete implosion of the pitching staff. We have most of the same staff as last season and nearly every pitcher is worse and many of them significantly worse than last season. I would fire him alone for how badly Burnes who has top of the rotation stuff has regressed.

 

I am sure there will be plenty of people who say that the pitching coach means little to nothing and that our pitchers have just been unlucky or some nonsense. The truth is the biggest loss this team suffered was Derek Johnson leaving and being replaced by a guy that seems truly incompetent.

 

Both the players and management like the job Hook is doing, and that’s good enough for me.

 

According to sources, McCalvy earlier in the year, said Hooks strength is mechanics and DJ pitch sequencing.

 

Woodruff Houser Guerra have taken giant steps forward, in Guerra’s case he developed a plus curve since last year, with Hooks help.

 

Just trying to be fair here.

 

If management likes the job that Hook has done they really aren't very smart.

[adambr2]

Guerra has not at all taken a giant step forward. Woodruff has done a great job, but there is still a lot of room for progression. He has not taken that giant step forward yet.

[Brew crew 92]

Guerra has not at all taken a giant step forward. Woodruff has done a great job, but there is still a lot of room for progression. He has not taken that giant step forward yet.

 

Ok, Guerra’s a better pitcher this year, because of the curve, is what I should have said.

 

Woodruff has added velo, imo, thru better mechanics. He has room to improve and will.

[tmwiese55]

Meanwhile, we're almost halfway through the year and Cin has a 3.6 ERA for 3rd best in all of MLB after having a garbage staff last year. It's tough to blame anyone for this as we have no idea on the negotiations and whatever personal situations that mattered to him. But let's just say it should be clear that it was a loss for the team instead of stomping our feet and arguing that pitching coaches don't matter.

 

Personally, when you're spending 130mil on the roster one would think just paying whatever was needed to keep him would've been a drop in the bucket, but again we just don't know what the story is on it.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Meanwhile, we're almost halfway through the year and Cin has a 3.6 ERA for 3rd best in all of MLB after having a garbage staff last year. It's tough to blame anyone for this as we have no idea on the negotiations and whatever personal situations that mattered to him. But let's just say it should be clear that it was a loss for the team instead of stomping our feet and arguing that pitching coaches don't matter.

 

Personally, when you're spending 130mil on the roster one would think just paying whatever was needed to keep him would've been a drop in the bucket, but again we just don't know what the story is on it.

 

Exactly. Who knows what his motivations were besides money? By all appearances it sucks for the Brewers, but I can't help but wish Johnson nothing but the best.

 

While we're on the subject of coaches, the inconsistent offensive showing this season has made me somewhat rethink Darnell Coles's time as the hitting coach. Perhaps the lack of disciplined at-bats is more on the hitters and less on the coach?

[tmwiese55]

My take would be that Pitching coaches matter way more than Hitting coaches. And I think I could probably even get behind an opinion that really only the truly top notch pitching coaches matter or make a significant difference (rather than marginal). Think your Dave Duncans and the old ATL coach, looks like a real possibility DJ is one of those types of guys.

 

Seems like on hitting really all they can do is some marginal differences, and I'd say that's all we've gotten this year from the change. Generally I like the approaches better. More oppo for some, seems like better RISP results (off eye test, haven't looked up stats). Overall results are jsut better, but of course helped by Moose/Grandal over blackholes at those spots last year.

[TURBO]

But let's just say it should be clear that it was a loss for the team instead of stomping our feet and arguing that pitching coaches don't matter.

 

 

If we had a LIKE button, this would have gotten a giant LIKE from me.

[adambr2]

Meanwhile, we're almost halfway through the year and Cin has a 3.6 ERA for 3rd best in all of MLB after having a garbage staff last year. It's tough to blame anyone for this as we have no idea on the negotiations and whatever personal situations that mattered to him. But let's just say it should be clear that it was a loss for the team instead of stomping our feet and arguing that pitching coaches don't matter.

 

Personally, when you're spending 130mil on the roster one would think just paying whatever was needed to keep him would've been a drop in the bucket, but again we just don't know what the story is on it.

 

Exactly. Who knows what his motivations were besides money? By all appearances it sucks for the Brewers, but I can't help but wish Johnson nothing but the best.

 

While we're on the subject of coaches, the inconsistent offensive showing this season has made me somewhat rethink Darnell Coles's time as the hitting coach. Perhaps the lack of disciplined at-bats is more on the hitters and less on the coach?

 

How so? The offense has scored almost 60 runs more than they had at this time last year. They are averaging 4.97 runs per game, compared to 4.62 runs per game total for 2018.

 

In terms of inconsistency, the 2018 offense at this point in the season, for one example, had been held to 2 or less runs in 27 games. That has happened only 14 times this season.

 

Seems like this season's offense, compared to last year, has been much more consistent and productive than 2018. Given the unforseen and extreme struggles of Aguilar, Shaw and Cain, I think the 2019 offense has done a great job.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Meanwhile, we're almost halfway through the year and Cin has a 3.6 ERA for 3rd best in all of MLB after having a garbage staff last year. It's tough to blame anyone for this as we have no idea on the negotiations and whatever personal situations that mattered to him. But let's just say it should be clear that it was a loss for the team instead of stomping our feet and arguing that pitching coaches don't matter.

 

Personally, when you're spending 130mil on the roster one would think just paying whatever was needed to keep him would've been a drop in the bucket, but again we just don't know what the story is on it.

 

Exactly. Who knows what his motivations were besides money? By all appearances it sucks for the Brewers, but I can't help but wish Johnson nothing but the best.

 

While we're on the subject of coaches, the inconsistent offensive showing this season has made me somewhat rethink Darnell Coles's time as the hitting coach. Perhaps the lack of disciplined at-bats is more on the hitters and less on the coach?

 

How so? The offense has scored almost 60 runs more than they had at this time last year. They are averaging 4.97 runs per game, compared to 4.62 runs per game total for 2018.

 

In terms of inconsistency, the 2018 offense at this point in the season, for one example, had been held to 2 or less runs in 27 games. That has happened only 14 times this season.

 

Seems like this season's offense, compared to last year, has been much more consistent and productive than 2018. Given the unforseen and extreme struggles of Aguilar, Shaw and Cain, I think the 2019 offense has done a great job.

 

I guess I was referring more to the individual regressions of Aguilar, Shaw and to a lesser extent, Cain. Those guys have put a lot of really subpar at-bats on film this year. I agree that overall, the offense hasn't been a huge issue, but having a few guys that they counted on to be run producers not hitting has certainly kept them from reaching their full offensive potential.

[Thurston Fluff]

My take would be that Pitching coaches matter way more than Hitting coaches. And I think I could probably even get behind an opinion that really only the truly top notch pitching coaches matter or make a significant difference (rather than marginal). Think your Dave Duncans and the old ATL coach, looks like a real possibility DJ is one of those types of guys.

Seems like on hitting really all they can do is some marginal differences, and I'd say that's all we've gotten this year from the change. Generally I like the approaches better. More oppo for some, seems like better RISP results (off eye test, haven't looked up stats). Overall results are jsut better, but of course helped by Moose/Grandal over blackholes at those spots last year.

 

By that old pitching coach form ATL I assume you mean Leo Mazzone. He was hired by Baltimore where he took a nothing staff and made them, well, nothing. He lasted two years then was fired with a year left on his contract. While I agree pitching coaches matter I don't think any of them are miracle workers. The circumstances they're in appears to matter almost as much as the person themselves. That said I haven't seen anything that makes me think Hook is adding anything to the staff.

[ecjimg]

“I think I just need to go back to my mentality I had before, being aggressive, controlling the game myself,” Davies said. “And not being passive. That’s the biggest change I see in myself right now. It happens to everybody. There are times where you’re going to doubt yourself, where you think that somebody else knows what’s best for you and you don’t rely on yourself.

 

“That’s not pointing fingers. It’s just, you’re lost a little bit and you think somebody else can help you instead of just looking at yourself and knowing that’s the person who is going to change it.”

 

Sounds like Davies is talking about not buying pitching coach suggestions.............

[wntrtxn21]

Guerra has not at all taken a giant step forward. Woodruff has done a great job, but there is still a lot of room for progression. He has not taken that giant step forward yet.

 

Ok, Guerra’s a better pitcher this year, because of the curve, is what I should have said.

 

Woodruff has added velo, imo, thru better mechanics. He has room to improve and will.

 

Guerra is about the same as he was last year once he was demoted to the pen. His big numbers came mostly as a starter. He controls the curve better, but he has lost feel for the splitter. One replaces the other.

[young guns]

“I think I just need to go back to my mentality I had before, being aggressive, controlling the game myself,” Davies said. “And not being passive. That’s the biggest change I see in myself right now. It happens to everybody. There are times where you’re going to doubt yourself, where you think that somebody else knows what’s best for you and you don’t rely on yourself.

 

“That’s not pointing fingers. It’s just, you’re lost a little bit and you think somebody else can help you instead of just looking at yourself and knowing that’s the person who is going to change it.”

 

Sounds like Davies is talking about not buying pitching coach suggestions.............

Could be grandal as well.

[jjgott]

Methinks Hook gets the hook at the end of the season.

[JosephC]

This team badly needs a healthy Gio Gonzalez back on the hill. I'd don't know if there would be any statistical evidence to back this...there probably isn't...but it just seemed like this pitching staff was better when he was healthy and part of the rotation.

[yourout]

Methinks Hook gets the hook at the end of the season.

That would be too late to save this season.