Brewers Spring Training: 23 Bold Predictions for the 2023 Season - PART II

10. The Brewers Capture the NL Central, Easily

No team has captured consecutive NL central titles since the Cubs did so in 2016 and 2017. St Louis won the division with relative ease last year, with a seven-game gap between them and the second-place Brewers. This year, the Brewers can flip the script. There's no real reason to believe it won't be a close race throughout the season, but come time for playoff baseball, the Brewers might just be sitting atop the NL Central comfortably.

9. Rowdy Tellez Hits 40 Home Runs

Rowdy Tellez is a force at the plate. It takes little more than a glance to figure that out. However, 40 home runs in a single season in quite the accomplishment. There have only been seven Brewers who eclipsed 40 bombs in a campaign, and Tellez can become the eighth, as long he stays healthy and fends off any encroachment on his playing time by Luke Voit or William Contreras.

8. Jake Cousins is a Key Piece in the Pen

Without Josh Hader, Devin Williams naturally will shift into the closer role. With Williams now manning the ninth, Craig Counsell needs someone to step up for the set-up role. My pick for the slot is Jake Cousins. He features one of the filthiest sliders in the game, and with a slight uptick to his control, has good supplemental pitches too. It may not be the most natural pick, but there's potential.

Jake Cousins with a big strikeout to get out of the inning and save some runs! pic.twitter.com/RGsu7pJh4t

— IKE Brewers Podcast (@IKE_Brewers) June 30, 2021

7. Brewers Win a Playoff Series

In a year where the NL will feature a top-heavy lineup of teams, naturally, the Brewers' playoff hopes are up in the air. Playoff appearances haven't been too common in Milwaukee, and playoff series wins have been even harder to come by. If there was ever a year for a surprise jolt from the Crew, though, it could be this one.

6. Jesse Winker Gets MVP Votes

Winker had a nightmarish 2022 season as a member of the Mariners, but there's reason to believe he can put it back together in Milwaukee. Nothing is guaranteed, and the only thing harder than getting MVP votes is winning MVP. (To manage this, he'll probably have to play reasonably often and well in the outfield, which will help Voit and Tellez get to the home-run plateaus I predicted for them earlier.)

5. Milwaukee Sends at Least Three Players to the All-Star Game

There's plenty of talent on the Brewers roster. In Christian Yelich, Williams, Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, Winker, William Contreras, and Corbin Burnes, there are guys on the roster who've made All-Star teams before. It's hard to pinpoint who and who won't be playing well halfway through the season, but I'm betting on the team sending three or more representatives to the midsummer classic.

4. Williams Leads the NL in Saves

Williams is one of the best relievers in baseball. There's no debate there, but leading the league in saves is as much a collective achievement as it is an individual stat. The Brewers don't feature an overpowering offense, so they should find themselves in plenty of save situations. Can they expect Williams to consistently close that door?

3. Free Burgers!

If the Brewers win 12 straight games at any point, it means free burgers courtesy of George Webb. George Webb has given away free burgers on two operate occasions. I'm betting that this team gets hot, and that 2023 will be the third.

2. Willy Adames Signs a Contract Extension

Adames is entering the prime of his career after experiencing a bit of an awakening as a member of the Brewers. Undoubtedly, there's plenty of reason to keep Adames around. It'll come at a cost, one that the Brewers have never been comfortable handing out. He's also not the only extension candidate, but he may be the one that makes the most sense.

Willy Adames reiterated he would like to remain with the Brewers long-term. But he also saw the insane contracts doled out to free-agent SSs in the off-season: pic.twitter.com/sfKdfwxkcF

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) February 22, 2023

1. Woodruff wins the NL Cy Young

Brandon Woodruff is often an afterthought within the Brewers pitching staff, but he's got the skills to take home pitching's grandest prize. With names like Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodón switching to American League teams, Burnes might be Woodruff's greatest competition. If there's a year for a Woodruff to insert himself into the race, this could be it.

There you have it. If you missed my previous piece with the rest of the 23 predictions, check it out. Let me know in the comments whether I've missed any especially juicy ones.