Brewers

The MLB offseason was certainly an interesting one. I’m sure many of us had the same thoughts, “Will there be a season?” “If there is a season, how many games will be played?” As a Brewers fan, one of my big concerns was if the lockout would rob me of listening to a true National Treasure, Bob Uecker. Luckily, all was resolved and Brewer fans will have another season of Mr. Baseball on the radio.

It would be a major development for the Brewers if Keston Hiura could regain even a fraction of his prior form and, if early spring training results are any indication, it's not outside the realm of possibility. But what does his spring training success mean?

A common refrain heard last May and June was that the Milwaukee Brewers were near the bottom of team rankings in many statistical measures of production on offense. The MLB team totals were referenced without thought because, after all, the numbers told the story of what had happened.

While true, they also weren't telling the whole story -- and it's story that will be rewritten again in 2022.

We start a new era of Milwaukee Brewers coverage here at Brewer Fanatic nearly a year ago to the day, when MLB data maven Tom Tango pulled an excerpt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's weekend Brewers notes column on the once and future ghost runner.

With the way the 2022 Milwaukee Brewers are currently constructed, Christian Yelich is their best option to bat leadoff. Manager Craig Counsell favored Kolten Wong in the top spot for most of last year; however, there are a handful of reasons things should be different this year. It almost makes too much sense.

The early 1980s featured one of the most explosive lineups in team history - the famed Harvey's Wallbangers. Yount, Molitor, Cooper, Oglivie, Thomas, Money, Simmons, and others headlined a lineup that was one of the most feared in baseball. But there were other guys on the Brewer roster that contributed to the success of that era - which included the team's only World Series appearance.

Corbin Burnes debut was clunky, Brandon Woodruff has had a few tough outings, Keston Hiura is smoking the ball, Tyrone Taylor looks like peak Barry Bonds. What is life, and does this mean anything?

As we inch closer to a mid-July draft, the baseball world has understandably been focused on Spring Training and an Opening Day that now is only a week away. A quick reminder, the Brewers are currently scheduled to make the 27th, 63rd, and 70th picks.

Hunter Renfroe will be a regular in the starting lineup when the Milwaukee Brewers face a left-handed starting pitcher this year. How will he be handled when a righty takes the hill against the Crew? Despite improving his performance against right-handers last season, Renfroe’s production against same-side hurlers raises questions.

A handful of spots are still up for grabs on the big league club. With rosters officially expanded to 28 players to start the season, the Milwaukee Brewers will need to decide exactly how many pitchers they want to keep, and determine how that impacts the position player pool.

Fans, experts, and others around baseball see the 2022 Milwaukee Brewers as a genuine contender for a World Series title. Typically when a club finds its way to the top of the game, it is the beneficiary of some tremendous performances - from both individuals and the team. Predicting a championship would be the ultimate bold prediction, but we'll save that possibility for another article.

With apologies to Tom Jones fans everywhere, it's not unusual for great pitchers to take a step back on their path toward immortality. And not all great pitchers get to that place. Corbin Burnes in 2022 is going to take that step back, and we have three case studies that can help inform where he goes from here.