Five Storylines to Follow in Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training

Spring training is a farrago of veteran hitters easing their way in, pitchers narrowing their arsenals to focus on specific pitches (or expanding them to find outs in new places), and young bucks attempting to earn an Opening Day roster spot. It creates an environment wherein results don’t usually tell us a whole lot about the coming season, but there are a few things that make this Brewers squad a little bit different. With a lot of open questions surrounding starting spots, prospect development and return from injury, there are several things we can look out for.

Who is in Pole Position for Opening Day?
As a general rule of thumb, major leaguers will start spring training games while the fringier players and prospects get a chance later on. This doesn’t always hold true for the first week, but usually by the second week, every member of the 40-man roster will be given some game time, with this ramping up the closer we get to Opening Day. It can be fascinating to see not just if players play, but in what positions. For example, if we see Jackson Chourio getting more reps in center field than Garrett Mitchell or Sal Frelick, he’s more likely to get the nod as the Brewers' starter there come Mar. 28.

Perhaps more obvious are the pitchers. Specifically, who is seriously being tried for the rotation and who is left for the bullpen? It’s likely that each of Joe Ross, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Robert Gasser, Janson Junk and Colin Rea will build up to multiple innings, but the question of who gets stretched to four or five frames will be telling in whom the Brewers prefer in their Opening Day rotation. There aren’t enough spots for each of them among the 13 pitchers allowed on the active roster, so expect to see some serious competition.

Jackson Chourio’s Strikeout/Walk rate
The one set of statistics that seems to translate from spring training into the regular season is that centered on hitters' plate discipline. Chourio’s historic pre-debut deal opens a path for him to become the Brewers' Opening Day center fielder, but one issue he had in the minor leagues was his prolific chase rate. His bat-to-ball skills improved immensely over the course of the season, which allowed him to put the ball in play at remarkable rates despite the flaw, while also causing him to hit into cheap outs and generate a poor walk rate.

Against big-league pitchers, you simply cannot afford to chase as much as he does, but if he can take that final step and remain inside his strike zone, we should see the hit tool, the power and a strong walk rate all coalesce this season. Chourio has shown a coachability that has developed his talent impressively. As such, it would be no surprise to see him jump straight into action with a refined patience at the plate. It’s also important to remember that, as Christian Yelich said, he’s just a kid, and if he takes time to learn at the big-league level, that’s just fine as well. Let’s enjoy every second of the five-tool talent being on the field.

Joey Wiemer’s Swing
Oh baby, is this exciting. Spencer Michaelis shared a clip of Joey Wiemer’s new and improved swing, something our own Matt Trueblood dissected here. It has a lot of fans excited, after a season in which Wiemer flashed his immense power and stunning defensive capabilities, but he couldn’t make contact with regularity. He’s also drawn comparisons to some big stars, if you’d like to play spot the difference below:

In all seriousness, one swing by Wiemer doesn’t quite tell us all we need to know about the coming season, but it’s going to be exciting and intriguing to follow these two things:

Can he make more contact?
Has he lost any of his power?

If the new, more compact swing can improve his contact rates without sacrificing much of that pop, Wiemer will be a stud who takes the league by storm this season. If not, he may have improved his floor but lost out on some of that which made him such a special talent. Strikeout rates will be key to his spring, and if he can keep that down while posting some gaudy exit velocities, the hype train will have well and truly left the station.

Aaron Ashby’s Velocity
Ashby had some incredible life on his fastball and slider in 2022, with a wicked sinker that induced a ton of ground balls and a lot of promise. Then his 2023 got wiped out by a shoulder surgery, and his late-season return showed some worrying signs. Pitching at 87 mph in his minor-league rehab (a far cry from the 99 mph he topped out at in 2022), Ashby was a shadow of his former self.

In the above clip, he already looks more fluid and comfortable in his throwing motion, which is a great sign heading into 2024. A fit and firing Ashby can be a strong number-three starter for this team, if he can stay healthy and regain anything close to his former stuff. That may be a big ask, but it should also be immediately evident just where he’s at from his first appearance on the mound.

DL Hall’s Walk Rate
DL Hall showed some notable improvements last season, completely stripping back his delivery, and it resulted in a big step forward in his command. In a small sample with the Baltimore Orioles that included a playoff run, he finished with six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings and just one walk. That was added to a 6.2% walk rate in the regular season. The raw stuff is still there, and the small sample shows he may have turned the corner in terms of his control.

That being said, the plan for 2024 is to start games, which brings its own set of challenges and a renewed focus on his ability to keep the ball in the strike zone. Hall possesses one of the best fastballs among prospects, and two wipeout secondaries in his curveball and slider that will allow him to get results if he can throw them for strikes. If he can’t, there is reliever risk here, and spring training may be a big turning point in Hall’s career.

Along with all this are some other fascinating story lines. How does Tyler Black look defensively? Can Jacob Misiorowski enhance his hype alongside his command (early reports suggest that he looks much more balanced on the mound)? Can Brock Wilken light up the spring? Will Garrett Mitchell stay healthy and show his athletic promise? The squad of high-ceiling talent the Brewers possess in the upper minors makes for a riveting side piece, and paves the way for reinforcements later in the season. Then you have Sal Frelick with reps in the infield; everyday regulars like William Contreras and Christian Yelich looking to elevate more; and Freddy Peralta primed to pick up where he left off after his dominant second half of 2023.

Baseball season begins again this Saturday. Feb. 24. It’s a hugely exciting time to be a Brewers fan, with a multitude of questions to be answered and positions to be fought over. What are you paying attention to this spring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!