Article: Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers '23 - #52 Eric Lauer

[Adam Rygg]

It's six days until the NFL crowns its champion. There is just over a week until Valentine's Day. One more day after that and Pitchers & Catchers will be required to have reported to Spring camp in Phoenix.

But Opening Day 2023? Well that's 52 days away from February 6.

 

What a whirlwind of a year 2022 was for the man who wears #52 for the Milwaukee Brewers...

Eric Lauer.

Photo Credit: © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

I'm writing this piece pretty late in the day on February 6, but not only does BBtJN need the piece to be finished before midnight to satisfy the trope, but the story of Lauer's season is one that needs to be revisited. Luckily, that's part of why Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers exists in the first place.

Before we get to 2022 though, let's remind you -- informed reader -- of how Lauer traversed the last few years with Milwaukee.

Eric Lance Lauer is listed as a 6'3" southpaw drafted out of Kent State University in the 1st round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He originally joined the Brewers ahead of the 2020 season in a trade with San Diego, in exchange for Zach Davies and the pariah that was Trent Grisham.

Initially, changing organizations did no favors for Lauer, who only pitched in four games for the parent club that year and still managed to give up 16 runs in the final three games after 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball in his season debut.

Lauer's pitch mix and level of execution had many Minor League writers and reporters excited about his prospects as a starting pitcher if the Brewers' brain trust could just get Lauer into their secretive "Pitching Lab" in Arizona. Not to minimize that part of his ascent, but the hopes proved fruitful. Lauer, in his age-26 season in 2021, posted a fantastic final set of numbers. Outside of the volume, Lauer gave the Brewers and manager Craig Counsell everything else they could have hoped for.

Overly quickly, that brings us to 2022. Lauer was entering camp with an understandable high related to his job prospects. The final season numbers look strong as well, but the true depth comes from beyond the box scores for Lauer last year.

Lauer developed and started utilizing a change up in 2022, and while the final numbers (e.g. 3.69 ERA) look fine, it was really an up and down season for Lauer.

Of his 29 starts in 2022, Lauer allowed multiple runs 15 times, at least 3 ER a full 10 times, but all that was offset well by his better executed starts. Lauer never finished a game above a 2.60 season ERA between April 24 and June 10. The month of June was easily Lauer's worst (6.83 ERA, 5 starts, 27.2 innings, 31 H, 23 R (21 ER), 8 HR, 10 BB, 19 K, 1.482 WHIP), raising his season ERA into the 3.50s. Happily, he was pretty consistent thereafter.

An injury on September 7th cost him a couple of starts (and several runs against his line), and while it changed from left elbow "tightness" to a strain, Lauer was officially put on the IL due to left elbow "inflammation" and came back off after a minimum stint to finish the season healthy and with consecutive scoreless appearances at the end.

The biggest issue for Lauer in 2022 was the long ball. Perhaps he was the victim of the "Aaron Judge" batch of baseballs at times, but Lauer giving up 28 home runs was as egregious as it was uncharacteristic. Don't misunderstand, though. Lauer has always been a fly ball pitcher, but before 2022, only about 12% of those batted balls in the air found their way over the outfield wall. In 2022, that figure jumped to over 14%. Couple that with an increase in the volume of fly balls, and you can understand the jump in allowed homers. That's got to be a focus this spring, even more so than I'm sure Lauer has already been working on it.

Final season line: 11-7 record, 3.69 ERA, 29 starts, 158.2 IP, 135 H, 71 R (65 ER), 27 HR, 59 BB, 157 K

Contract Status: Signed to a one-year contract worth $5,075,000, to which the sides agreed to avoid an arbitration hearing. Lauer is eligible for arbitration again after the 2023 season and then could become a free agent following 2024.

2023 Outlook: As mentioned above, if Lauer can tame the long ball a bit better like he used to, a highly contributive season of a mid-3.00s ERA seems plausible, as do plenty of strikeouts. Lauer should break camp in the starting rotation.

 

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