One Good and Bad Stat for Every Brewers Player, So Far (Part 1)

[Kyle Ginsbach]

The MLB season is about one-third complete, and the Brewers have had their fair share of both positives and negatives. In that spirit, here’s the first of four pieces in which we'll identify one good and one bad stat for every player so far. Part 1 will feature Brewers infielders.

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB season is about one-third complete, and the Brewers have had their fair share of both positives and negatives. In that spirit, here’s the first of four pieces in which we'll identify one good and one bad stat for every player so far. Part 1 will feature Brewers infielders.

Rowdy Tellez

• Uplifting: 12 HRs
• Concerning: .425 xSLG

Rowdy Tellez’s 12 home runs lead the team, and place him within the top ranks of MLB. It’s no secret that the home run is key to Tellez’s game, and the Brewers first baseman has found his power stroke early. Yet, his xSLG currently sits at what would be a career low, a concerning sign for what his production could be like going forward.

Brice Turang

• Uplifting: .738 Road OPS
• Concerning: Pretty much every xMetric

Turang got off to a blistering start to his big-league career, but has since cooled significantly. He’s been good defensively as a second baseman, and has hit at a respectable level on the road. At home, his OPS is over 300 points lower. If that sounds unsettling, there also isn’t really a singular underlying metric that tells us Turang is underperforming. That may sound harsh, but Turang's initial approach isn’t working like many had hoped. Turang is still young, having only lost prospect status less than a month ago, so there's still plenty of time for the young second basemen to turn it around. As for now, this is not what the Brewers are looking for. you.

 

Willy Adames

• Uplifting: 14.3% Barrel Rate
• Concerning: .223 xBA

As usual, Willy Adames is hitting the ball hard and playing fantastic defense. A recent concussion shouldn’t keep Adames out long, but when he’s back, the Brewers might like to see Adames pick up a higher volume of hits. The Brewers have slotted Adames into the second spot in the lineup, and the more hits they can accumulate toward the top of the order, the better. A small gripe now, as the main concern still remains Adames' health.

Brian Anderson

• Uplifting: 30 RBI
• Concerning: 32.0% Hard Hit Rate

Anderson has been the Brewers' best run producer so far, with an impressive slash line of .351/.409/.568 with runners in scoring position. Because of that success, Anderson is the team leader in RBI. Oddly, Anderson’s 32.0% hard hit rate is the lowest of his career by a decent margin, meaning Anderson could be benefiting from some old-fashioned batted-ball luck. Of course, exit velocity isn’t everything, and the Brewers hardly have any room for complaints as far as Anderson’s is concerned. Oh yeah, he’s been playing some pretty good defense, too. 

Mike Brosseau

• Uplifting: 25.0% K Rate
• Concerning: 2.1 IP

Brosseau hasn’t been relied upon in the pinch-hitting role as heavily as he was last season, and his offensive consistency has only dipped a small amount. His 25% strikeout rate would be the lowest of his career, but the sample size remains small. More concerning, however, through little fault of Brosseau, is the number of innings he’s recorded as a pitcher. The Brewers have been prone to getting blown out this season, and therefore, Brosseau already has had to make three separate pitching appearances. Ouch.

Owen Miller

• Uplifting: .136 wRC+
• Concerning: .472 OPS w/ 2 outs

Owen Miller has been the ultimate offensive revelation for the Brewers. He doesn’t strike out, doesn’t walk, and doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, but he does hit. Miller’s been good defensively, too, playing a variety of infield positions. In short, Miller has done everything the Brewers have asked of him, and much more. In fact, it was pretty difficult to find anything to nag at, but his .472 OPS with two outs is worth noting. The sample size is small, (only 27 of his 128 plate appearances) so maybe it’s just a small gripe in an otherwise fantastic start for Miller.

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Going with Brosseau's innings pitched as his concern is hilarious. Love it.

[sveumrules]

Small sample caveats apply (only 46 PAs), but a 55 wRC+ vs LHP for Brosseau is pretty concerning compared to his 127 career mark entering the season.