Brewers (Drohan) vs Reds (Lowder): 6/24/26, 6:10pm

[owbc]

2 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Base running is definitely a big part of it, the Brewers +43.1 BsR is best in MLB since 2023.

There is the old joke about home runs being rally killers, but I think the Brewers have somewhat taken that to heart and are testing the bounds of the theory somewhat.

Since 2023 their .327 OBP is 2nd in MLB, but their 578 HR and .147 isolated slugging are both 25th. They've scored the 6th most runs in MLB anyway.

High OBP + low Power = 5,874 PA with RISP since 2023 (most in MLB) hitting for a 117 wRC+ with RISP (2nd) ending up with 2,116 runs scored with RISP (1st).

Their overall 44.8 Swing% is also lowest in MLB since 2023.

So in the macro you've got a bunch of good base runners, frequently on base, who rarely swing, but few XBH to move them multiple bases at a time, all combining to put a bunch of pressure on opposing pitching staffs.

They might not crack every time, but with the Brewers posting a 331 W - 233 L record since 2023 (2nd best in MLB) it has worked 58.7% of the time anyway (or an MLB best 60.8% of the time since the start of last year).

I clearly haven't read enough fangraphs lately and am now getting into a sequencing rabbit hole...

It seems like our ability to see more pitches is the big one that gets missed -- high BB rate overall and lower K rate especially with runners on base. 

Effective deployment of platoons is the other one, with Vaughn obviously being the current poster child for most effective platoon player in MLB. 





 

[Jim French Stepstool]

5 hours ago, owbc said:

I clearly haven't read enough fangraphs lately and am now getting into a sequencing rabbit hole...

It seems like our ability to see more pitches is the big one that gets missed -- high BB rate overall and lower K rate especially with runners on base. 

Effective deployment of platoons is the other one, with Vaughn obviously being the current poster child for most effective platoon player in MLB. 





 

The underlined, for sure. Watching the games it seems to me like when they go into a 'swing early' mode it's like they earned the position of getting good balls to hit early in the count, by their willingness to take a lot of pitches previously. It doesn't always work of course, but they usually seem to have a solid game plan.

[Opening Day]

15 hours ago, wallus said:

It's like people don't realize that other teams have mediocre players too

They do.  But the Brewers have subpar players on the 26 with a tremendous farm system.  So the Brewers are in a better position than most to fill those holes either through trade or call up.  Some teams have holes without a path to plug them.  They Brewers have options many teams dont.

[Opening Day]

16 hours ago, Brian said:

I agree, Yoho went from unhittable in Nashville to giving up 4 runs and 3 walks in six innings pitched in Milwaukee. 

Not even close to being acceptable, he is already 26 so his Yo Yo pitch and command is not translating to the MLB unless he has that nervous anxiety like Chad Patrick has. 

They had patience and endured the Sproat struggles and it looks like it might be working out.  Im hoping if they have the same patience with Yoho, he might put it together too.  Idk, but sometimes you have to let young guys adjust.  That said, they've had the same patience for Ortiz, and his hitting never quite came around, similar for Perkins.