Milwaukee Brewers @ New York Mets Series Preview: Opening Day, 2024

At long last, our national pastime has returned. This signifies not just Opening Day, but that together we traversed nearly 150 long days without the sights and sounds of The Show, and the comfort in the minimum of 162 assured contests for us to get lost in. Collectively, we dedicate ourselves to the hope that by the time Milwaukee finds itself in the fresh frost of a new winter, a flag will be flying forever, trimmed for the first time with the yellow of the Brewers, rather than the red of the Braves who brought home the only other World Series title in the city's history.

From the outset of this season, it feels like Milwaukee faces long odds. Forced to reckon once more with the relative austerity of its ownership and the controversial (read: heartbreaking) departure of Craig Counsell, it could be argued that planting the seeds of hope in the soil of 2024 is folly, but the feisty Brewers have made their bones defying oddsmakers for the better part of the last decade. Last year saw the quiet resurgence of Christian Yelich, who outslugged the last three years' versions of himself. It saw the upstart spark of a slew of youngsters, like Sal Frelick and Abner Uribe, the former reflecting some positional malleability that will keep his promising bat in the lineup, and the latter with stuff so nasty that it makes the half-season loss of Devin Williams a far less bitter pill to swallow. And did you know that Hoby Milner had an ERA+ of 238 and a sub-1.00 WHIP?!

Ultimately, if we’re going to finally hear what Bob Uecker sounds like belting out the last out of a Brewers World Series triumph, there is going to have to be some magic both on and off the field. That said, here we are at the end of March, and all we have to do for the moment is buckle in and enjoy the marathon. Let’s start by looking at the first few matchups. 

Friday, Mar. 29
Freddy Peralta (0-0 0.00 ERA) v. Jose Quintana (0-0 0.00 ERA) 
A bit of poetry to start the season, as we get a taste of the future and an examination of the past with both pitchers on the mound. With Corbin Burnes in Baltimore and Brandon Woodruff on the shelf, Peralta is taking the reins as Milwaukee’s undisputed ace. Injuries and trades aside, he's done a good amount to earn this position. His numbers haven’t been as hot since his All-Star campaign back in 2021, but last year saw his strikeout rate rise and his walk rate fall. The undeniably potent Mets lineup should prove a good test to see what tricks Peralta has up his sleeve for the new year.

Representing the Mets on the mound is one-time Brewers killer and the now-seasoned vet, Quintana. With the White Sox, Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals, Quintana has seen a lot of the Crew. At the start of his career, he famously sparkled against Milwaukee until an early-season drubbing in 2019 saw eight earned runs knock him from his throne. Since then, he’s been a few steps above adequate, but is constantly tweaking his game, and last year saw him restore some of his lost mastery via reinvention as a sinker baller.

Saturday, Mar. 30
Brewers TBD v. Luis Severino (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The Crew’s pitcher has yet to be determined for game two, but they will contend against a familiar face on the other side, and I’m not talking about Luis Severino. I’m referring, of course, to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, whose departure from the Brewers became the lesser talking point in the wake of Counsell’s stinging defection to the Cubs. Stearns has made his bones by flashing his brilliance on several fronts, including by being unafraid to pluck from the bargain bin. What looked like the Yankees' surefire ace of the future in Severino veered off course, culminating in a 6.65 ERA in 2023, which saw him jettisoned from the Bronx. One borough over, the now-bearded Severino looks to reclaim his future glory, and if his spring training performance can be carried over into the regular season, he may just do that. 

Sunday, Mar. 31
Colin Rea (0-0 0.00 ERA) v. Tylor Megill (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Last year, when the inevitable barrage of injuries took its toll on the Brewers rotation, they found their depth in Colin Rea. Prior to this stint in Milwaukee, the robust righthander did just enough to bob up and down from Triple-A to the majors, amassing all of 0.2 career WAR. That said, last year he did prove to be a reliable, consistent force who pitched competently enough to survive Wade Miley’s absence and earn himself a one-year return engagement with the Brewers. 

Pitching for the Metropolitans will be the brother of Brewers relief monster Trevor Megill. Trevor’s 2023 reflected that of his brother, in many ways. The doomed 2023 Mets blockbuster offseason saw Justin Verlander join Max Scherzer immediately after winning a Cy Young and World Series. The consequence? A litany of major injuries and player decline, which prompted an up-and-down mixed bag of appearances for Megill. The 2023 season saw him set a new career high for innings pitched, but also saw inauspicious career highs in WHIP, hits per nine innings, and a spike in walks. Not exactly a spring chicken, this might be a make-or-break year for the soon-to-be 29-year-old, so look for him to be pitching like he’s got something to prove. 

Players To Watch
Pete Alonso: It’s a walk year for the Polar Bear, so it wouldn’t be a shock to find him trying to remind everyone why $220 million over 10 years might not be unreasonable for a slugging first baseman. 

Francisco Lindor: Last year’s ninth-place NL MVP finisher was first on the Mets in WAR by 1.5, over the second-place Kodai Senga, and he was 0.5 ahead of Juan Soto, just for good measure. No one seemed to care, or seemingly ever takes full notice of what looks like a career that is just gliding into Cooperstown. If you enjoy taking in mastery, Lindor is always worth keeping an eye on.

Jackson Chourio: And could it really be anyone else? As the youngest player in the league on Opening Day and (hopefully) the future face of the franchise, Chourio has blown through the minors on the power of five tools that are garnering him comps to vaunted names like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Andruw Jones. It’s a lot to ask Chourio to fulfill those comparisons, but even if he just flashes a hint of that kind of potential, it’s going to be an exciting 2024. 

Rhys Hoskins: Few moves have excited Brewers fans more than the signing of a bona fide, accomplished first baseman in former Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins. He was a consistent and formidable presence for years in Philadelphia, until a torn ACL in his left knee saw his 2023 campaign, and his time with the team, come to an abrupt end. For better or worse, what would have likely been a multiyear contract turned into a comparative bargain pickup for the Crew, which gives them a potent bat in their arsenal and gives Hoskins a chance to rebuild his value. 

Predictions
These two teams feel oddly similar. Both seem to be hovering in between their floors and ceilings, and both have something to prove. Furthermore, both are composed largely of players in their walk years, or tied to make-or-break contests. I suppose, given that, it feels logical to defer to the home team. I say Milwaukee goes one for three to start the season.

How do you think the Brewers match up with the not-so-mighty Mets? Which other storylines will you be watching? Do you think the Crew can steal the series win in Queens? Let's discuss it.