Midseason Grades

[jlau20]

Thought it would be fun to see how everyone would grade the Brewers performance in several areas based on the first half.

 

Six Categories:Offense, Defense, Starting Pitching, Bullpen, Management and Overall

 

For me:

 

Offense: B+

Defense: B

Starters: B

Bullpen: B

Management: B-

Overall: A-

[TooLiveBrew]

I'll write this nicely before you get teased...Your final grade isn't really reflected in your individual categories.

 

I don't know what grade I'd give this team so far, maybe a B+, but don't know how I'd break it down in the categories

 

EDIT:

Off. - A-

Def. - B

SP - B

BP - B+

Mg - B

 

Maybe that matches up

[FVBrewerFan]

Offense: C-

Defense: D+

Starters: D

Bullpen: F+

Management: D-

Overall: A+

[jlau20]

Are you sure, I always though 5 B's averaged out to an A?

 

Guess not.

 

I didn't think 5 B's was a fair enough assessment of the team so I gave 'em an A overall, taking into account other things like how sweet it is to watch Jenkins ditch his big wad of chew after he crushes one off the scoreboard.

[IslandsAC]

Quote:

---

Offense: C-

Defense: D+

Starters: D

Bullpen: F+

Management: D-

Overall: A+

---

Haha.

 

Offense: A

Defense: B

Starters: AB

Bullpen: AB

Management: B

Overall: B

 

(And I don't believe in grade inflation!)

 

EDIT: Ann Carrol: D

[craigharmann]

I'm going with the midseason TV grades:

 

BA: B+ (solid, getting better as the year goes on)

Rock: B (He is what he is)

Craig Coshun: C (He is what he is as well)

Davey: C (He's bringing some good insight, but

camera presence is coming)

Ann Carroll: F- (She's not eye candy, and messes up too

many times to even pay attention)

[FVBrewerFan]

Kangaroo Court Grades:

 

Fielder: A+ (for various belly flops)

 

Hardy: A (see my signature)

 

Braun: A- (for use of ultimate cliche usage "Just real comfortable out there right now Craig")

 

Entire roster: B (for not catching a walk on ball 3)

[thablingster]

Offense: B (peaks and valleys boys, peaks and valleys. When Billy gets all the way back on track and Rickie is healthy and this could be an A or A-)

Defense: C (we're getting better, this could probably be a solid B by the end of the year. The Bill Hall CF experiment, Kevin Mench, and some of the mental mistakes on the infield bring this to a C so far)

Starters: B+ (other than a rough few weeks, we've had great starting pitching)

Bullpen: B (Turnbow, Cordero, and Villanueva have been very good. Wise is Wise. Spurling has been nothing if not unspectactularly effective. Capellan, Shouse and Aquino have been meh)

Management: B (Ned has gotten better at pulling the strings when he needs to)

Overall: A- (when you put all of the pieces together, we've played much better than I would have expected coming into the year)

 

Announcer Grades:

 

BA: B+ (He's growing into his role nicely)

Rock: B+ (BA compliments him well)

Craig: C (He is what he is)

Davey: C (Once his on-camera persona catches up to his knowledge, he will be really fun to watch)

Carroll: D (She has gotten better from the beginning of the season)

[Beast Light]

Here are my grades. Please note that this is based off how they have stacked up against the rest of the league so far. It has nothing to do with what was expected of them and whether not they are falling short of or exceeding expectations

 

RF: Corey Hart = B

 

Corey has been playing great, could be an A but where was he in the first couple of months?

 

 

SS: JJ Hardy = A -

 

Doing it with the bat and the glove. Not many SS at the major league level that I would have rather had on the roster so far this year.

 

 

3B: Ryan Braun = A

 

This guy can flat out hit. How many third baseman's half season would you have taken over his? Rodriguez and maybe Cabrera? Hasn't been too bad with the glove either

 

 

1B: Prince Fielder = A

 

Only thing keeping him from an A+ is the batting average, which is still pretty good.

 

 

CF: Billy Hall = C

 

Where has Bill Hall version 2006 gone? He hasn't been bad, there are just other CF that better.

 

 

C: Johnny Estrada = B

 

Can we please take the first pitch? Just once? If he had more plate discipline, I think he would be unstoppable.

 

 

LF: Geoff Jenkins = C+

 

Started out great. Hopefully he'll heat up at the end of the year like he usually does.

 

 

2B: Rickie Weeks = D+

 

May have an injury but his peformance has been everything short of spectacular.

 

P: Ben Sheets = A

P: Chris Capuano = B-

P: Jeff Suppan = C

P: Dave Bush = D+

P: Claudio Vargas = B-

 

Closer: Francisco Cordero = A

[razzzorsharp]

Offense: B+ (To be fair the grade would be higher if Braun would have been up the whole year)

Defense: B- (To be fair the grade would be lower if Braun would have been up the whole year)

Starters: B

Bullpen: C+

Management: B+

Overall: A-

[SheetsCyYoung04]

Ben Sheets-B The strikeouts have started to come around, but his numbers are still below 2004

Chris Capuano-CD-A healthy Capuano would be very welcome. Very inconsistent in his time with the Brewers (Unless you consider fading every second half consistent though hopefully a DL stint will prevent that this year)

Jeff Suppan-CD-He is pitching alot of innings still which is good but hasnt been very good recently. Hopefully continues his trends of hot second halves.

Dave Bush-C He has been pretty good in his last couple of starts and taking out that six run inning against the Cubs he has been fairly average. Positioned for a nice second half run

Claudio Vargas-BC-If he doesnt limit his BBs or keep up his high K rate and low BA with runners in scoring position, he is likely the odd man out if Gallardo makes a Se[tember return to the rotation

Carlos Villanueva-A-Pitching like last season wasnt a fluke. Has kept the Crew in alot of games. Walked a few too many at times but....

Yovanni Gallardo-AB-Should be 3-0. Looks like Roy Oswalt with more Ks.

Matt Wise-AB-Has been the most reliable relief pitcher in the pen and doesnt allow baserunners

Derrek Turnbow-B-Not an all star like Yost claims and there are probably better set-up men. But seems to have put last season behind him

Coco-B-a rough June keeps him from A. 7.5 ERA in June. Hopefully, a meltdown isnt going to happen and he stops the bleeding.

Brian Shouse-D- He has had a nice run as a long man, but as a lefty specialist has not gotten that one batter as much as he should.

Chris Spurling-D-His 1.56 Whip just cant be counted on in close game situations. And he doesnt have the endurance to be a good long man. Parra or Thatcher would probably be more valuable.

Johnny Estrada-CD-His plate discpline has been bad even for him. A 2004 Johnny Estrada would be so cool. Yeah I am dreaming.

Prince Fielder-A-If the season ended today, he would proably win MVP though they may be more worthy candidates. Could walk alittle more and strike out alittle less but it has been a fun ride

Ricke Weeks-CD- He was still an .800 OPS bat 5 days ago, but just hasnt broke out. Hopefully his wrist is fully recovered in 2008 and he finally breaks out.

JJ Hardy-AB-A terrible June, but if you would have told me before the season he would have an .850 OPS in July I would have said an A without blinking.

Ryan Braun-A-Could use more consistency vs. righthanded pitching but dude can rake.

Corey Hart-AB-PECOTA nailed a breakout season for Corey and judging by his track record he isnt a flash in the pan. His awkward lankyness may have kept him underrated on prospect lists and now on top MLB players list, but I really see no flaw in him as a player and a potentially 30/30 guy. A wirst injury keeps im from an A.

Bill Hall-D-The Brewers are mediocre vs. right handed pitching and he is a culprite. It just has been a rough season for Billy. Bouncing around in the batting order, subpar defense, but he is still the center fielder for the next 3 1/2 years.

Geoff Jenkins-AB-Yes I know the splits said e would be this good in a platoon role, but it is still good to see him flurish in it.

Kevin Mench-C-His plate discpline is embarrasing, and Im not seeing the player that 51 home runs in 2004 and 2005 combined; however, he is starting to come around in his platoon role and his lefthander OPS is over .800

Gabe Gross-D-hasnt come close to 2006 numbers, and hasnt really made Jenkins expendible.

Tony Graffinino-C-Its a darn good thing Melvin doesnt listen to me and DFA him when Braun came up because he had a 1.169 OPS in the month of June.

Craig Counsell-C- His OBP is nice for a lineup that hits alot of dingers.

Damian Miller-BC-hasnt complained about his role. Did he just do that?

[Fatter than Joey]

Ned Yost - F

 

We haven't clinched our playoff spot yet. I plan on giving Yost a Pass/Fail based on playoffs.

[jazzytrav]

Offense - AB -- Bit of inconsistency, but that's to be expected...and some of those numbers are unlike anything we've seen in a long time

 

Defense - CD -- Very inconsistent, Billy has come a long way, as has Braun...Jenks and hart have made some spectacular plays. unfortunately Hardy has had more botches than i expected of him, and Weeks seems to be struggling yet

 

Pitching - B -- The entire rotation has been impressive at one time or another, Vargas has been more than anyone expected, Sheets has been a true ace since early april...Bush is hit or miss (no pun intended), and while i hope Suppan comes around, he's struggled a lot lately

 

Bullpen - A -- I may be alone in this, but this bullpen has done so much more than what was expected of them...without Villy, this group still gets a B, but having a long man like that makes this a sure A in my mind

 

Management - BC -- If it was only game management, this would probably be more along the lines of a D, but they've done a great job preparing a lot of young kids, and an even better job with some older veterans that want playing time. The job Yost has done keeping Mench and Jenkins in line and still producing deserves an A by itself.

 

Overall - AB -- Really I'd just like to see the defense get more solid as the year goes on, and possibly some better in-game decisions by Yost...but all in all I'm obviously not gonna complain about anything. If Hardy boots a grounder but then knocks a two run shot the next inning, I'm happy.

[IslandsAC]

I didn't know schools gave out CD's now... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[strawbossisevil]

Ben Sheets- (A-) His slow start is the only thing holding him back from a straight A.

 

Chris Capuano- (B-) His fast start didn't last, hopefully he can have a successful second half and doesn't fade as he has in the past.

 

Jeff Suppan- (C+) He's doing what we brought him in to do, soak up a lot of innings. He's been hammered pretty hard lately though, and he needs to get back to the consistency he showed earlier in the season.

 

Dave Bush-(C-) He's been better lately, but he hasn't been the sleeper that many people expected him to be. His secondary numbers still suggest that we could see better things from him going forward, we just need to see that play out on the field.

 

Claudio Vargas-(B+) He's probably been one of the best bottom of the rotation starters in the league. While his stuff hasn't been great, it's kept us in a lot of ballgames. While he doesn't have the ceiling of a lot of our other pitchers, he's far exceeded the expectations many had for him entering the season.

 

Carlos Villanueva-(A) If he continues to pitch as well as he has, a move to the rotation sometime either this season or next is a certainty. His poise has been incredible. Aside from Sheets, Villanueva has been the most valuable pitcher on the staff to date.

 

Yovanni Gallardo-(A) Came up and showed that he belongs in the big leagues. Even showed that he can do a little something with the bat. Adding him to the bullpen will strengthen what has been a weakness and provide Yost with another long term option. Congratulations kid, you've earned it.

 

Matt Wise- (A-) Has been a great asset to the pen. And has been a big part of locking up victories by pitching in the 7th.

 

Derrek Turnbow-(B+) Has looked much better than he did at the end of last season, here's hoping the turn around continues.

 

Coco- (A) He leads the league in saves, and aside from a few hiccups has been absolutely dominant.

 

Brian Shouse-(C-)- He hasn't been quite as good as he was last year. Needs to buckle down on the first batter more. But he's still managed to keep an ERA in the 3s, so he hasn't been too bad.

 

Chris Spurling- (C-) I think he's done far better than I expected him to. He is definitely the first candidate to be replaced if a trade is made. You won't hear me complain about his ERA in the 3s though. He is better than the majority of teams pitchers at the back end of the bullpen.

 

Johnny Estrada-(C-) He needs to take a walk every now and then. His average and power has been nice so far, but we could use him on base a bit more.

 

Prince Fielder-(A) He's an MVP candidate and is showing us how special of a player he really is. Enjoy him while we got him folks.

 

Ricke Weeks-(D+) While his wrist may be part of it, he hasn't shown the power that he had in the early weeks of the season. Of all the prospects cluttering the field for the Brewers, Weeks has been the most disappointing to this point. Hopefully a solid second half will make me eat my words on that one.

 

JJ Hardy-(A-) The early homerun pace wasn't sustainable, but he showed us that as he fills out and enters his prime he could be a 30HR threat (and may still get there this season). The combination of his bat and his glove makes him an elite SS.

 

Ryan Braun-(A) Could anyone have predicted this kind of showing by Braun. He could be the best offensive player on this team, and that's saying a lot considering who we have playing first.

 

Corey Hart-(A) He's stealing bases, hitting for average and power. If his second half is as good as his first half, he'll have Brewer fans forgetting all about Carlos Lee.

 

Bill Hall-(C-) His defense has gotten markedly better as the season has gone along, and he can really cover the gaps well. His offense is slowly starting to come around, but it's certainly a far cry from the numbers he put up last season. It's been nice that our offense hasn't needed his offense to this point, but hopefully a strong second half by Hall will add yet another catalyst to our strong offense.

 

Geoff Jenkins-(B+) -12 HR in part time duty is showing he still has a bit of pop left in his bat. The drop off from Lee to Jenkins in Left has been surprisingly small, and Jenkins defense has made it that much less of a difference.

 

Kevin Mench-(D+) His lack of plate discipline and power have really been a huge disappointment. He has not filled his side of the bargain in the Jenkins/Mench platoon.

 

Gabe Gross- (D+) Decent plate discipline. Not so good hitting numbers however. He has nowhere to go but up in the second half.

 

Tony Graffinino-(C-) His slow start helped bring up Braun, so I can't dislike the guy too much. He is what he is, a valuable backup middle infielder.

 

Craig Counsell-(C-) Decent OBP and defense. Very little else to write home about.

 

Damian Miller-(C+) Definitely beats having Moeller out there. After a slow start his bat is finally coming around.

 

Tony Gwynn - (C+) Played a valuable roll of the bench. Can hit for average but needs to start putting some balls into the gaps. His defense was very good.

 

Greg Aquino - (F) Pitched very poorly to start the season. How was this guy ever a MLB closer? His numbers may have been effected by an injury, but I'm more than happy with him at AAA.

 

Elmer Dessens - (F) A 1.80 Whip, a .369 BAA. This guy wasn't fooling anyone. He's done more for the team by being on the DL than he did when he was on the roster.

 

Jose Capellan - (D-) Had a really bad attitude and average stuff. His numbers (4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .222 BAA) don't telll the whole story with this creep.

 

Ned Yost - (B) Putting Estrada in the 5 hole was not a brilliant move. Despite that, he's managed at keeping the team level headed despite some difficult stretches. He's managed the bullpen and bench well and has kept his clubhouse controversy free since Spring Training.

[Crewin06]

Offense - A : When you have the best OPS in the NL and the only NL team in the top 5 in the league, you are a pretty good offensive ball club. Other Notable include #2 in the league in HR's 12 in front of the 3rd place team. 2 all-star position players but really could have up to 5. I don't understand how the offense doesn't get an A.

 

Defense - B : The Brewers around league average for number of errors. On merit alone they probably don't deserve a B, but considering the mess that this team was supposed to be, the team deserves this grade.

 

Starting Pitching - B- : I am suprised they werent better. Suppan has struggled, Bush has struggled, Capuano has been injured, Vargas doesn't want to throw on the inside part of the plate. This grade would be lower if not for Sheets who has been a rock. The saving grace is they are healthy and usually get to the 6th inning. I expect the staff to pick it up in the second half.

 

Relief pitching - A : Villanueva is rediculous, Cordero is amazing, When everyone currently in your bullpen has an ERA under 3.2 except for your setup man, you know they have done the job. Turnbow the Black sheep of the pen has a 3.7 ERA. I think it is time to dump him. .

 

Manager - A : Everyone has given Yost a tough time but he has done one hell of a job so far. Does not make things to complicated. Sticks to the plan. Gets people days off when needed. The Brewers are currently in first place in the NL and 3 games off the lead for best record overall. I say that is pretty darn good. And the best part of it is the Brewers have played the tough part of their schedule.

 

Overall - A : They have the best record in the NL and 6.5 games up in the division. An A is the type of Grade these teams get.

[jazzytrav]

Brian Shouse-(C-)- He hasn't been quite as good as he was last year. Needs to buckle down on the first batter more.

 

That would be good, considering the first batter is usually the only one he's in there to get http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[giffted1]

The Hitters

 

Ryan Braun (A) : Defense has been better than expected. Oh yeah, he's killing the ball too.

Craig Counsell © : Not good, but certainly good enough for a backup infielder.

Johnny Estrada (B) : Horrible plate discipline, but still the best hitting catcher we've had in a long time.

Prince Fielder (A+) : Asking for more from him would just be greedy.

Tony Graffanino (C+) : Recent power surge has been a pleasant surprise.

Gabe Gross (D) : Looking like nothing more than a AAAA outfielder.

Bill Hall (C+) : Probably should have gotten a worse grade, but I like Billy.

 

JJ Hardy (A-) : Has cooled off quite a bit, but he's still an All-Star.

Corey Hart (A-) : Absolutely great at the top of our order.

 

Geoff Jenkins (B) : He's mashing on righties and can't touch lefties. Whats new?

Kevin Mench (D+) : Someone in Chicago must have told Mench what a walk is. Hopefully he continues to use this new knowledge because a .709 OPS doesn't make up for the price of his special order batting helmets.

Damian Miller (B) : He's been bad all semester so far but aced the mid-term.

Rickie Weeks (D-) : He's lying about how his wrist is or he's simply lost at the plate. Either way he's been a dissapointment.

 

The Pitchers

 

Dave Bush (D+) : Bad luck or not, if his numbers don't get better we have two young starters waiting to take his spot.

Chris Capuano (B-) : Had a great start, but got knocked around when we started playing good teams.

Francisco Cordero (A-) : Had a few stinkers but has been great overall.

Yovani Gallardo (A) : He's good. Hopefully he can handle to move to the pen.

 

Ben Sheets (A) : He's finally learned how to win.

Brain Shouse (C-) : Not really doing what he's paid to do. Dominate lefties.

Chis Spurling (C-) : Has held on to a roster spot much longer than I thought he would.

 

Jeff Suppan (C+) : Even though his numbers aren't good, he's pitched quite a few innings saving our pen.

 

Derrick Turnbow (B+) : When he's off its a disaster, but when he's on you almost feel bad for the hitters.

Claudio Vargas (C+) : He's played with fire all season, and he doesn't pitch deep into games, but he must be great at motivating the Brewers hitters on days he's pitching.

 

Carlos Villanueva (A+) : Pitches like he's been in the league for years.

Matt Wise (B+) : If he wasn't made of glass he'd get an A.

Coach

 

Ned Yost (No Grade) : What Yost does has little to do with how the team will do in the long run.

[clancyphile]

Offense: A - This team can rack up ten runs on any given day. All they need is someone to get hot.

 

Defense: B- - There have been troubles, but it hasn't killed the Brewers.

 

Starting Pitching: B- - Bush has been clubbed a few times, and Vargas cannot get past the sixth inning. Still, they keep the Brewers in games. That's good enough for the best record in the NL.

 

Bullpen: A- - Maddux and Castro have always been able to jury-rig a good bullpen. The fact that blown leads are notable because they are rare speaks well for their efforts.

 

Management: B+ - Yost has done what he has always done - and his approach is working. He just needed the talent. Delay in calling up Braun kept this from being an A.

 

Overall: A+ - You just cannot argue with the best record in the NL, and the Brewers look unstoppable.

[Bruce Ciskie]

PITCHERS

Sheets: A. How could it be anything else?

Capuano: C+. I'm worried about what I saw from him before the injury.

Suppan: C. A colossal waste of money, considering our young pitching depth, but at least he's a veteran who will help this team even on days he's not pitching.

Bush: B-. I think he's better than his numbers, but he's no better than a fourth starter.

Vargas: C+. Too many baserunners and too much nibbling.

Gallardo: INC. I don't follow the minor leagues enough, and I have only seen two of his three starts.

Villaneuva: A+. Unreal.

Shouse: D. Not a fan. He doesn't get the lefties consistently enough, though I appreciate his rubber arm and his willingness to take the ball.

Wise: B. A bit erratic in terms of his availability, but he's been good so far.

Spurling: C. Fine. Not made for pressure situations, but fine.

Turnbow: B+. Aggravating at times, but at no point has he been anywhere near as bad as he was last year.

Cordero: A-. Shaky lately, but still a top-notch closer.

 

BATS/DEFENSE

Fielder: A+. Wow.

Graffanino: C. Better lately, but a really bad start.

Counsell: C. Steady. Good defense, and a better stick than I expected.

Weeks: D. I know he was hurt, but he just hasn't been good.

Hardy: B+. Let's not get too excited about his hot start, because he's been more and more human lately.

Braun: A. Incredible out of the gates. I hope he keeps hitting, and his defense has been a pleasant surprise.

Hart: A-. Stupid wrist. Imagine what his numbers would be if he were healthy and playing since Opening Day.

Hall: B-. Really improving defensively, getting on base more effectively, and he runs well. Need MORE POWER. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

Jenkins: B-. Hot start, not as impactful offensively as of late.

Mench: C. Meh.

Gross: D. Not all his fault, but he did nothing to merit extra playing time when he had chances. Now his at-bats and PT are so irregular that it's almost impossible to judge. But he gets marked down because he could have done more to earn playing time when Hart was injured/in the doghouse/whatever.

Estrada: C. A bit of a defensive liability, but his hitting isn't awful.

Miller: B-. Maybe I don't know the whole story, but it seems like he's been a real pro with diminished playing time. Much better backup catcher than Chad Moeller/Gary Bennett. Ugh. Can't stand the thought of those guys on this team. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

 

MANAGER

Ned: B. I actually think he's been better handling the bench and bullpen this year. Not only that, but he appears to have pretty much settled on a lineup. And for all his faults as a tactical manager, Yost has gotten the players to take on that "battler" mentality. Jokes aside about "battling", that's a good thing. The comeback against the Twins, even though it turned out to be a loss, is a shining example.

 

IN HONOR OF JAYSON STARK, SOME TEAM AWARDS

(not necessarily based solely on grades)

Cy Young: Sheets

Cy Yuk: Suppan (if only because of the money invested)

MVP: Fielder

LVP (LEAST Valuable Player): Capellan

[tomwopat]

Grittyness: B -- Corey Hart and Ryan Braun making lots of work for the Brewers' laundry crew.

 

Gusto: A- -- Prince Fielder belly flops into 2nd base. Nuff said.

 

Fight: C- Prince gets nearly beaned and the only thing he can do is hit home runs? Pshaw.

 

Clutch: B+ -- No dives into the stands or walk-off HBP's yet, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played.

 

Veteran Leadership: B- -- Jeff Suppan and Craig Counsell do the best to fill the void left by fomer 20 game winner Rick Helling. Geoff Jenkins content to remark about how glad he is to not be on a losing team anymore.

 

Manufacturing Runs: C- -- Assistance from OSHA and/or ISO 9000 might be beneficial.

 

Turning Outs into Outs: B -- Major League Baseball has recognized all the outs the Brewers have recorded as official outs.

 

Butt Pats: B -- Nothing to complain about there. Err, what did I just say?

 

Managerialification: C+ -- Ned Yost has strategized to the best of his ability.

 

On-Field Reporting: F-- -- FSN heard our cries about Bob Brainerd, then finally managed to find someone worse.

 

Sausage Races: B -- The Chorizo needs to be sent to a wind tunnel so his costume can be redesigned so he has a prayer at winning.

[UWRyan428]

Why did they make the Chorizo the slowest sausage?? I continue to go with the trendy pick every game I go to, only to lose. Perhaps he could hire Randall Simon or I hear Tanya Harding doesn't have much on her plate... Otherwise, I'd file a claim with the NAACP.

[kmcasper23]

Offense - B (Too many off days yet against poor pitching - Marquis on Sunday, Youman yesterday)

Defense - B (Way too many errors yesterday boys)

Starting Pitching - B (Would be an "A" if Gallardo replaces Bush or Vargas or if Bush becomes more consistent staying away from big inning.

Bullpen - B- (Get rid of Spurling, limit Shouse to 1 hitter, Turnbow and CoCo get rid of struggles, and need to add another lefty)

Management - B+ (Melvin does a great job with the roster. Yost needs to better manage pitchers though. Villanueva should not pitch in a 11-4 game ever!)

Overall - B+ (Need to distance themselves more from the chubs! They are way to talented to let them challenge!)

[JohnBriggs12]

Fielder: A-. Stepped forward in to C. Lee's spot as feared middle of order hitter. That was a big question answered.

 

Weeks: D+. Started fine, but what happenend?

 

Hardy: A-. Cooled a bit after torrid start and has missed games recently. Not a good sign for a guy trying to beat an oft-injured rep.

 

Braun: A+. Best pure hitter I've seen come up in 37 years of Brewer baseball. Of all the young talent, this is the guy I'd want locked up for 10 years.

 

Jenkins: B-. Hard to tell if he's in hot streak or cold streak now days as he's not in lineup every day, but he's had some big hits.

 

Hall: C+. Still the "heart and soul" of Brewers in my book. Two run HR vs. Tigers ranks up there with biggest hit of the year so far.

 

Hart: B+. Grade would be higher, but can't ignore first two months when power wasn't there.

 

Mench: C. He is what he is and that's not very exciting.

 

Gross: C-. Didn't take his limited opportunities and force Ned to play him. Still he gets on base at good rate.

 

Gwynn: B. Did everything asked of him.

 

Estrada: C. Lack of walks doesn't bother me as much as (save one GS), lack of timely hitting.

 

Miller: B. Raised his grade from a C- in one week.

 

Sheets: A. Pitching like an ace.

 

Capuano: C+. His trade value is suffering with another hot and cold season.

 

Suppan: C-. Looks nothing like the NLCS MVP so far.

 

Bush: C-. Hasn't moved forward after promising close to 06. Occasionally very impressive but prone to collapses as well.

 

Vargas: C-. Inability to get through 6 innings has taxed bullpen.

 

Villanueva: A-. Had they not signed Suppan, they might have been better off with Villy in rotation and used some of that money for quality bullpen help.

 

Wise: B. Bullpen handy man has done as expected.

 

Shouse: C+. Not really a guy you want in there with the game on the line but has proved serviceable from time to time. Still if something better is out there, I'd be looking.

 

Spurling: C. Another guy who's usefulness is limited to eating late innings in already decided games.

 

Turnbow: B. Very nice turnaround from disaster that was 06. While he might work his way back to closing games at some point, may never be top of the line type closer.

 

Cordero: A-. Has re-entered reality after unsustainable stretch.

[Ennder]

Fielder: A. I had high hopes for him and he has exceeded them.

 

Weeks: C-. Sucks that he's been hurt but still has been a league average 2B.

 

Hardy: B+. Great April but he has faded big time since, .619 OPS in the past month and a half.

 

Braun: A. Way more than I had hoped for.

 

Jenkins: B. Jenkins has been very solid this year.

 

Hall: C. The early slump really hurt but his defense is looking better and the bat has come around this last month.

 

Hart: B. Establishing himself as one of the better OF's in the NL.

 

Mench: C-. He's had a couple big hits but he's cost a number of runs with his glove too.

 

Gross: C. Last bat off the bench

 

Gwynn: C. Had a hot week and then was mostly useless until they sent him down.

 

Estrada: B-. Wish he could throw somebody out.

 

Miller: B-. Better than moeller.

 

Sheets: A-. Good to see him healthy, hope he can keep those K's up.

 

Capuano: C-. Great start, ineffective middle, injured end.

 

Suppan: C-. Doing about what I expected him to, eat up some innings with average work.

 

Bush: B-. The ERA doesn't look good but its misleading, Bush has pitched better than any other starter currently in the rotation not named Sheets.

 

Vargas: C-. Fifth starter, not going more than 5.1 IP per start is hurting the bullpen though.

 

Villanueva: A. Better than I expected.

 

Wise: B.

 

Shouse: B-. Still question whether or not a LOOGY is useful or not but Shouse has done well this season.

 

Spurling: C. Need to see more of him to really judge him.

 

Turnbow: B. Still scares me to death every time he comes in, but he's got the job done more times than not.

 

Cordero: A. One of the best closers this year in the NL, everyone blows saves sometimes.