2021-04-06: Brewers (Peralta) at Cubs (Alzolay) [Brewers win, 4-0 -- Pitchers allow just one hit, Peralta strikes out 8 over 5.0 IP]

[adambr2]

Could it be that Yelich is simply off to a slow start just like 98% of the Brewers offense? Narvaez and Shaw are really the only two regulars doing well and even between those two, Narvaez is the only guy clearly en fuego. Shaw is getting a boost in our minds because of two timely, extra base hits, both of which nearly single handedly won games. In reality Shaw has "only" 3 hits and 1 walk but also has only started 3 of the 5 games so far with one pinch hitting appearance.

 

Between Narvaez and Shaw they've accounted for 11 RBI of the 15 total team runs scored.

 

So those two are tier 1, then there's a bit of a gap to tier 2. Yelich is right there at the top and I'd put Wong in there too. Yelich has scored 4 runs, has 4 hits (all singles), 2 walks and 1 HBP. Wong has scored 2 runs, has 2 hits (singles), 4 walks and 2 HBP.

 

I'll wager most of you haven't felt like Wong is one of the poor performers on the team, in fact the only comments I can anecdotally recall are ones that praise him. I agree, he's been better than most other guys on the team and Yelich is right there with him except he's a notch better.

 

Yelich is a lightning rod for criticism right now because he's former MVP Christian Yelich. And he struggled over the course of 60 games that comprised the baseball season in 2020 so everyone is anxious for evidence that it's not going to happen again. That's it. Otherwise, in more normal light, he's simply another member of this team that has struggled a bit with the bat to begin the season. Outside of 2 other players he's still the best performer on this team.

 

Carry on with the overreactions.

 

I have no idea what you are trying to prove with all this. Just because Yelich might be performing "better" than guys like Hiura or Urias doesn't mean he's performing at a level acceptable to what a small market can afford for someone they just gave 200M+. Nor do I have any idea what someone like Kolten Wong has to with any if it, someone here for far less and for mostly his defense. The overall expectations for a Christian Yelich relative to Omar Narvaez or Travis Shaw or Kolten Wong aren't even in the same stratosphere.

 

You can insult everyone who thinks otherwise in that last sentence if you'd like but to many the long-term implications for this franchise of the possibility that Yelich could end up being far less than what they'd hope for someone they just committed essentially a lifetime contract to are real and not an overreaction.

 

And again, I do think there's a possibility that he returns to pre-2020 form but his longer track record with the Marlins does suggest there's a possibility that we're not getting the guy from '18 and '19 back, even if we will get a good player.

[SeaBass]

I will apologize for the way I framed that last sentence, the tone wasn't necessary. I'm sarcastic by nature but that's my own problem.

 

I do stand by my opinion that it's an overreaction to think that Yelich is on a path to long term underperformance based on 5 games and a slower start to the new season. That's all. History shows it's natural for baseball players and teams to sputter from time to time and 5 games is not a very long time even for bad streaks. Statistics are listed as averages for a reason.

 

Talking about $200 million contracts and justifying it, to me, is a complete non-issue at this point in time. Even if he only performs at pre-2018 levels as you suggest the Brewers knew that was possible when they extended his contract.