2021 Brewers Optimism Thread

[Pugger]

Great! 9:00 is way past my bedtime.

 

Got my 2nd Pfizer shot yesterday. Really sick today.

 

I got my second Pfizer on Tuesday. I felt weird that night and my arm is sore but I'm a a little better today. Hubby was running a slight fever yesterday but not today.

[Pugger]

The Brewers swept the Padres in San Diego without Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Kolten Wong. Three total runs allowed in three games. No runs against the Brewers bullpen.

 

Not having those big bats and gloves in the lineups in SD makes this sweep even better.

[Zad Fnark]

I got my second Pfizer on Tuesday. I felt weird that night and my arm is sore but I'm a a little better today. Hubby was running a slight fever yesterday but not today.

 

I was pretty bad. Felt just like I had Covid again. I've heard if I had Covid, I'll probably react more to the shots. I feel pretty fine today, apart from an arm which feels like someone hit it with a bat.

 

I left work early and was bundled up in a blanket in my chair watching the game. I guess there's worse ways to spend that day.

[roadcrew3]

Narvaez needs more love. 173 OPS+. Yet you rarely see any props for him here or anywhere.

 

As far as the roation goes, nobody has any earthly idea who the 3rd SP will be come playoff time. 5 months is a lonnnnng time. If Peralta is consistently at hus best in September, he's your guy. If not, could be Anderson, Houser, somwone called up, or trade acquisition.

 

Well duh...thank you for this. That's the fun of a fan board right? Getting to speculate on decisions and discussing with other fans how you would manage the team?

[Underachiever]

We’re coming up on just 10% of the season being completed, but the Brewers FanGraphs playoff odds have already increased significantly. Everyone else in the NL Central is now below 25%.

 

Brewers all up and down on this graph. Why can't they could be consistent, like Pittsburgh?

[Eye Black]

The Brewers swept the Padres in San Diego without Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Kolten Wong. Three total runs allowed in three games. No runs against the Brewers bullpen.

 

Not having those big bats and gloves in the lineups in SD makes this sweep even better.

One random thought I had after the sweep was regarding former FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron who joined the Padres front office a little over three years ago. Cameron use to pin the Brewers as his quintessential example of “Stars and Scrubs” roster construction. Beyond the obvious that it’s mildly ironic the Brewers just swept the Padres without some of their “stars,” I do think it’s a testament to the front office that they’ve seemingly raised the floor a bit on the middle-to-lower tier players on 40-man roster. You can only gain so much insight from a few games, but it seems like over most of the past decade losing three starting position players that were all hitting in the top half of the lineup would’ve decimated the Brewers chances of winning games. Certainly it also doesn’t hurt when your starting pitching is providing an otherworldly performance.

[igor67]

It's a solid point, and I think a big part of raising that floor is defense. It just doesn't slump the same way offense or even pitching can. With a year to potentially figure out exactly how to get the bullpen mix right we have a pretty nasty mix for the postseason at the moment.

[homer]

Narvaez needs more love. 173 OPS+. Yet you rarely see any props for him here or anywhere.

 

He's been flat-out awesome. I loved the transaction and thought he would do just fine for us. Well, he has been way more than fine. We have the best catching duo in the league. When Pina is rested, he is pretty darn good as well.

 

His swing looks so good it's hard to imagine him being as bad as he was last year.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Narvaez needs more love. 173 OPS+. Yet you rarely see any props for him here or anywhere.

 

He's been flat-out awesome. I loved the transaction and thought he would do just fine for us. Well, he has been way more than fine. We have the best catching duo in the league. When Pina is rested, he is pretty darn good as well.

 

His bat so far this year has been every bit as potent as Grandal's was in 2019, and if his defense is a step down, it certainly isn't substantial. His framing and game calling, along with his general fine defense, has been a big part of the pitching staff's success so far.

[roadcrew3]

It's a solid point, and I think a big part of raising that floor is defense. It just doesn't slump the same way offense or even pitching can. With a year to potentially figure out exactly how to get the bullpen mix right we have a pretty nasty mix for the postseason at the moment.

 

I agree. This team is positioned to play winning baseball in October when pitching is what wins games.

 

I think we're well positioned to improve at the deadline too. With the starting rotation throwing as they are, the Williams/Hader bullpen duo, and offense showing improvement (assuming Yelich comes back to form too), they don't necessarily need the deadline superstar acquisition to put them over the top. Middle relievers and mid-tier bats (think Moustakas from years past) could really move the needle for this team and wouldn't require the cost of a player like CC, Machado, or what it is assumed Story will end up costing this year.

[pacopete4]

Man, I hate off-days when your team is winning. I want to watch Brewers baseball tonight! It would be great to keep piling on the Cubs and bury them early in the season. Sell. Sell. Sell!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Man, I hate off-days when your team is winning. I want to watch Brewers baseball tonight! It would be great to keep piling on the Cubs and bury them early in the season. Sell. Sell. Sell!

 

I'd prefer the Cubs stay just relevant enough (while staying firmly behind the Brewers in the standings) that they feel forced to hang on to all their impending free agents, and not have the opportunity to sell them at the deadline to restock their system.

[Hopper]

Man, I hate off-days when your team is winning. I want to watch Brewers baseball tonight! It would be great to keep piling on the Cubs and bury them early in the season. Sell. Sell. Sell!

 

POUR IT ON!

[pacopete4]

Man, I hate off-days when your team is winning. I want to watch Brewers baseball tonight! It would be great to keep piling on the Cubs and bury them early in the season. Sell. Sell. Sell!

 

I'd prefer the Cubs stay just relevant enough (while staying firmly behind the Brewers in the standings) that they feel forced to hang on to all their impending free agents, and not have the opportunity to sell them at the deadline to restock their system.

I don't know. Game 163 was the start of the unraveling. I think it would be poetic for the Brewers to put the final nail in the coffin of that group. But yes, this also would work for me with dealing with the Cubs.

[Jopal78]

Man, I hate off-days when your team is winning. I want to watch Brewers baseball tonight! It would be great to keep piling on the Cubs and bury them early in the season. Sell. Sell. Sell!

 

I'd prefer the Cubs stay just relevant enough (while staying firmly behind the Brewers in the standings) that they feel forced to hang on to all their impending free agents, and not have the opportunity to sell them at the deadline to restock their system.

I don't know. Game 163 was the start of the unraveling. I think it would be poetic for the Brewers to put the final nail in the coffin of that group. But yes, this also would work for me with dealing with the Cubs.

 

Don't you want to see Rizzo hitting clean up for the Brewers in August, September and October? So far, the Cubs don't appear to have the pitching to stay in the race. More specifically, Jake Arrieta is the only starter averaging 5 innings per start, which is only going to tax a bullpen which is comprised of a resurgent Kimbrel and a bunch of medicore retreads: Tepera, Chafin, Rex Brothers, Workman, Winkler. They further taxed their pen by sending Azolay to the ATS due to ineffectiveness and moved Alec Mills from the pen to the rotation.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Don't you want to see Rizzo hitting clean up for the Brewers in August, September and October? So far, the Cubs don't appear to have the pitching to stay in the race. More specifically, Jake Arrieta is the only starter averaging 5 innings per start, which is only going to tax a bullpen which is comprised of a resurgent Kimbrel and a bunch of medicore retreads: Tepera, Chafin, Rex Brothers, Workman, Winkler. They further taxed their pen by sending Azolay to the ATS due to ineffectiveness and moved Alec Mills from the pen to the rotation.

 

I would love that. But I think the chance is better of seeing a pig fly than the Cubs trading Rizzo to Milwaukee.

 

And yes, this fits the optimism thread. Wouldn't you want to see a pig fly?

[pacopete4]

No, I want to see Hiura get his act together and keep guys like McKinney and Big Mac Daddy Vogelbach churning out W's for the crew. We don't need no stinking Cubs help.

[Eye Black]

Reds fans are currently in complete meltdown mode over their pitching imploding for a third consecutive game. Just caught a glimpse of Derek Johnson making a mound visit during the 7th inning, and it reminded me that his exit didn’t exactly prove to be the death knell many expected. Don’t get me wrong, I like DJ and think he did a great job, but it’s nice to see the organization’s pitching development probably supersedes the impact of any one individual.

[markedman5]

So the DJ fan club is getting smaller?

 

I’m old enough to remember people thinking he was the reason the Reds pitching staff was going to be great.....

 

Hook seems to be doing ok for us......

[Eye Black]

With the Reds loss today, the Brewers are now the only team in the NL Central currently with a winning record.

 

A few more notes about this Reds-Dbacks season series:

 

The Dbacks won five of six games against the Reds. Three of the games went to extra innings including the Reds only win which was the first game of the season series. The Reds hit 6 home runs today and still lost 14-11 in 10 innings. The Dbacks scored 47 runs in the six games (an average of nearly 8 runs per game).

[brooks_quichenick]

The Reds bullpen is just atrocious. Starters are decent so far with potential to improve, but they definitely need some pitching help.

 

GO BREWERS!

[markedman5]

Reds making history

 

[Greenleaf1]

A couple of days ago, I was wondering when was the last time the Reds were 1st in the division and the Cubs were last?

 

Today, I ponder when was the last time we were in 1st place and the Cardinals were last?

 

Seems like the division might be a little more evenly matched than I was originally expecting (kinda expected the Cardinals to run away with it, to be honest).

 

Looking forward to a 3rd series win against the Cubs this weekend.

[NYChez]

The Brewers have a higher batting average and slugging percentage than the Yankees.

[jjfanec]

A couple of days ago, I was wondering when was the last time the Reds were 1st in the division and the Cubs were last?

 

Today, I ponder when was the last time we were in 1st place and the Cardinals were last?

 

Seems like the division might be a little more evenly matched than I was originally expecting (kinda expected the Cardinals to run away with it, to be honest).

 

Looking forward to a 3rd series win against the Cubs this weekend.

 

And now the cards are in second and the reds are in last. The Brewers have been by far the most consistent team