Who will have a breakout season in 2008 for the Brewers?

[TooLiveBrew]

Another quip from Normandin:

 

Gaging the next year's performance off of second-half surges or lapses can be risky, especially in small samples, but from the data we do have Weeks looks like he may have finally figured something out in his approach.

It's really appalling to me how hard it is to uncover good injury info. I don't mean that in a negative way towards the author, as his writeup on Rickie is well-done. I just mean the actual attempt to access an injury update like how Rickie has had his wrist cleared of bone chips & that was the main thing that led to his surge, not him "figur[ing] something out in his approach."

 

I know in trying to evaluate (at a very base level) other teams' players, I had a really hard time finding any reliable injury info/updates beyond player card (CBS/ESPN/etc.) notes. Rickie, for example - you may be able to find that he had the bone-chip clearing procedure, but you'd have to just assume it was successful given his production. Short of emailing bloggers & posting on different fan sites, I don't know if there's a good way to ascertain this kind of info.

[Tbadder]

I think Rickie may just tear it up. He's seen Hart and Hardy and Prince, and I just gotta believe he is ready offensively to explode. He's developing an eye at the plate, his bat speed looks like lightning, and those pipes--sheeez, I think the ball comes harder off his bat than anyones except Fielder (and that includes Braun). I don't think he'll hit 35 homers, more like 22, but I wouldn't be surprised by 35 even a little.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think the ball comes harder off his bat than anyones except Fielder (and that includes Braun). I don't think he'll hit 35 homers, more like 22, but I wouldn't be surprised by 35 even a little.

Nice post - especially your HR expectation vs. 35 not shocking you... I think that's a good way to describe what his 2008 is going to be like. I really agree that he's quite possibly got the second-best bat speed on the roster. But given that I don't know squat about that kind of thing, he could be as good as 1st or as bad as 8th-ish.

[ILuvDaBush]

I remember when he first came up, they said that the force with which his line drives clanged off the outfield wall was reminiscent of a young Sheffield, which was quite apt given his quick bat speed. And I have said it countless times before, but let's say it again. TWO players have hit HR's to Big Mac Land at Busch II, and since it has been destroyed, there doesn't seem to be a third being added to the list, a juiced up first baseman and lil Rickie.

[BrewCrewForever]

Since Corey seemed to breakout last season this season it has to be Rickie Weeks. We need big things from him.

[Dnye23]

I agree, I think Weeks starts up again where he left off towards the end of last year. I will also say Ben Sheets because he's great pitcher that needs to stay healthy (crossing fingers, knocking on wood, throwing salt over my left shoulder, and whatever else).

[Big Reed]

I would say weeks with a caveot. if he doesn't break out this year, he never will.

 

I think the guy who will get all the national attention for breaking out will be Corey hart. he'll slightly improve on his production from last year, and all of a sudden the media will notice him.

 

I'd like to think Gagne will break out and post a 40+ save season and everybody living in boston and on ESPN will be amazed. if he is not suspended for his supplement use, i would project gagne to have 20 saves by the all star break and make the all star team.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think the guy who will get all the national attention for breaking out will be Corey hart. he'll slightly improve on his production from last year, and all of a sudden the media will notice him.

 

Yea - they get to use their favorite proof-he's-a-good-player quip... Corey Hart now 'has a track record.' The stuff that came before, that didn't count.

[ILuvDaBush]

The only thing that has ever worked against Corey, outside of his position switch to THIRD...when you're 6'6", is that he was an 11th rounder. If you drop one of those numbers, and he has that minor league track record, he is considered on par with Colby Rasmus, probably a bit better considering EVERY level, he was an All-Star, and he also has an MVP Award from the Southern League. Seriously, who is this guy?

[logan82]

I would say Hart except that him going over 30HR and 30 SB isn't a very big jump. I wouldn't consider it a break out. Hart is the type of guy who can hit anywhere in the order, high OBP, hits for some power, steals bases.

[Leinie Lodge]

30+ starts from Sheeters = breakout season

[pete]

I don't mean that in a negative way towards the author, as his writeup on Rickie is well-done. I just mean the actual attempt to access an injury update like how Rickie has had his wrist cleared of bone chips & that was the main thing that led to his surge, not him "figur[ing] something out in his approach."

 

Are you talking about the October 2006 surgery?

[Ennder]

I don't mean that in a negative way towards the author, as his writeup on Rickie is well-done. I just mean the actual attempt to access an injury update like how Rickie has had his wrist cleared of bone chips & that was the main thing that led to his surge, not him "figur[ing] something out in his approach."

 

Are you talking about the October 2006 surgery?

 

The october 2006 surgery that came with a warning that it might take up to a year to fully recover from it.

[pete]

Right, but it still seems as if there was something else going on with his ups and downs. Maybe not. Maybe it was just a gradual lack of sore periods. But it still seems to me that there was something that happened between the time he went down to AAA and when he came back.

 

It seems as if he not only was swinging the bat better, but was much better in his plate discipline. Maybe it was frustration and eagerness earlier that had him swinging at those breaking balls outside. I guess I wonder if he got coaching at Nashville, encouragement there, was shaken up by the whole thing or something else.

 

Tangentially, Derrek Lee is going to be one year post wrist surgery and his power was a bit better toward the end of the year. He might be set for a good year.

[TooLiveBrew]

Right, but it still seems as if there was something else going on with his ups and downs. Maybe not. Maybe it was just a gradual lack of sore periods. But it still seems to me that there was something that happened between the time he went down to AAA and when he came back.

I'd find it incredibly hard to believe that the wrist healing right on schedule (& having the bone chips cleared out), lining up perfectly with Rickie's power surge, was merely coincidental - as opposed to causal.

 

Good point on keeping an eye on Lee, btw.

[pete]

I'd find it incredibly hard to believe that the wrist healing right on schedule (& having the bone chips cleared out), lining up perfectly with Rickie's power surge, was merely coincidental - as opposed to causal.

 

Well, the wrist healing is a gradual thing. I don't think they line up perfectly either. Rickie's improvement was pretty extreme. Here's my recollection. Rickie started the season playing well but sputtered after a while. Eventually he went into a fairly long slump and was bad enough that he got sent down to Nashville. I don't think he had any time off. When he came back, he played great. Please, if I'm wrong, anyone correct me.

 

Besides your correlation, there is a correlation between his AAA adventure and his improvement as well. I suppose its yet another thing that outsiders can't find out till a good book is written at some later date, but I wonder if interaction with Kremblas or other Nashville staff helped him. Or perhaps it was the proverbial slap in the face. If it was Nashville, it would be a bit of ammunition for the anti-Yost folks.

[Leinie Lodge]

Here Ya Go

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080203&content_id=2363064&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, the wrist healing is a gradual thing. I don't think they line up perfectly either. Rickie's improvement was pretty extreme. Here's my recollection. Rickie started the season playing well but sputtered after a while. Eventually he went into a fairly long slump and was bad enough that he got sent down to Nashville. I don't think he had any time off. When he came back, he played great. Please, if I'm wrong, anyone correct me.

 

But it did line up on schedule. He had scar tissue cleared out of his wrist as a 'finalizing'/follow-up (normal follow-up) surgery appx. one year after his original surgery. After that, his power was back. Yes, he was sent down to AAA, but it's not like he magically figured anything out there for the week or so he was there that he didn't already know. The wrist surgery was expected & announced to take appx. one year for full recovery.

 

2006: Season-ending wrist surgery on Aug. 15th.

 

Aug. 7, 2007 (from rototimes.com): Rickie Weeks is off to a fast start at Triple-A Nashville, picking up seven hits in his first 15 at-bats. Manager Ned Yost hasn't given any thought yet to whether that would mean a quick recall back to the majors for the second baseman who was demoted after hitting .212 in 259 at-bats. "Rickie's doing a nice job down there," Yost said in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He's doing exactly what we want him to do. We just want him to keep doing it."

 

Aug 10, 2007: Brewers recalled Weeks from AAA... and we all know how the rest of the season went.

[TerraceReserved]

Aug 10, 2007: Brewers recalled Weeks from AAA... and we all know how the rest of the season went.

 

I thought it's only fair to Rickie if we see and appreciate just how good he was from Aug. 10 to the end of the year.

.273 / .442 / .553

38 walks, 8 HBP in 197 PA. Those numbers make me druel.

 

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Don't forget the 11 HR!

 

Btw, LeinieLodge, thanks for linking that - cool to see that not only is Rickie included, but he's the first guy mentioned.

[ILuvDaBush]

Talk to me when he puts up an OPS of 1.000 :-)

[aracko]

Can Capuano have a breakout season again?

 

Seriously - Capuano or Bush are going to put it together this year - its really just a huntch.

[Time for a Miller]

The bad weather must be putting me in a bad mood cause I have to put a damper on Weeks coming out party. I think he is ready for an excellent season with a big big big if. He has to avoid injuries and stay healthy. What worries me is that he has wrist problems and his wagging batting stance. That has to put a lot of stress on wrists that have already been causing him problems.

[djoctagone]

I thought this was going to be a thread asking who we thought would break out for the Brewers

isn't that the first sign of steroid use?