sveumrules

Defensive versatility? He's -2 DRS | -20 FRV at 2B for his career. Last year he played 89 games at DH. Mets are planning to use him primarily at 1B per reports. Steamer projects 1.9 WAR with only a -4.3 DEF, he hasn't had a DEF that low since 2021, and playing 1B/DH it will probably a lot closer to the -12.3 DEF he registered last year. That drops him down to 1.1 WAR. If he gives them 1000 PA of 120 wRC+ it's a perfectly cromulent deal, but there is a lot more downside risk given Polanco's track record (he hit for a 108 wRC+ | 3.4 WAR over 1,257 PA from 2022-24), and even in a best case scenario of him repeating his 132 wRC+ | 2.6 WAR from 2025 for two more years they got five wins for $40M, big whoop.

Nationals have Keibert Ruiz under contract for another five years and $35M. Nevermind that his -2.0 WAR over the last three years ranks 99th out of 100 players with at least 100 PA behind the dish during that stretch. They just traded for well regarded catching prospect Harry Ford from the Mariners who was somewhat clogged up behind the Big Dumper. They also recently re-upped with backup Riley Adams for $1M in Arby's. Obviously not a lot of roast beef by today's standards in MLB, and his -0.4 WAR over the last three years is 87th on that same leaderboard mentioned above. But it's the 4th catcher on their 40 Man that I think has a little Brewers feel to him, and could be an interesting stopgap to give Quero everyday reps in Nashville to open the season. You ever heard of Drew Millas? I certainly hadn't until today. 2019 7th rounder (224th overall) out of Missouri State by the A's. Switch hitter who put up 268/353/419 (107 wRC+) with an 11.4 BB% and 17.3 K% over 1,120 minor league PA from 2022-25. In a scattered sample of 144 PA with the Nationals over the last three years he has hit 281/348/406 (112 wRC+) with a 9.0 BB% and 18.8 K%. Despite being only 87th in PA on that above mentioned catcher leaderboard, Millas is 2nd in base running value at +1.9 BSR and 52nd with 1.2 WAR. For his major league career he has 6 SB / 0 CS. He went 32 SB / 7 CS in the minors from 2022-25. His 5.9 Speed Score in his small MLB sample puts him in the same range as guys like Frelick (6.0), Bryson Stott (5.9) and Julio Rodriguez (5.9). That's pretty serious wheels for a catcher. How about his Prospect Graduation TLDR from his FanGraphs player page...Millas' athleticism, framing, and nearly elite raw arm strength put him right on the verge of being considered a primary catcher.

Turang has four years of Arby's left then hits FA after 2029 according to Cots. They have a $4.75M estimate for him this year, MLBTR says $4.4M. Let's say next four years of Arby's might go something like $4.5M, $7.5M, $10.5M, $13.5M. That would be $36M for his Arby's, then buying out two FA years for $17M each to get to 6/70. Think Turang and his camp would be looking more towards Andres Gimenez and his 7/106.5 extension from a couple years ago as their primary comp.

The last time the Cubs finished ahead of the Brewers in a full season was 2017. Cubs fans talking about winning it all hasn't mattered much for some time now.

Mitchell has played 141 games in his MLB career. His MLB season high is 69 games in 2024 (he also played another 14 in the minors). His professional high is 96 games in 2022 - 68 in the minors and another 28 in MLB.

That already happened once. They made the World Series in 1982, and then from 1983 until 2004 they were the 2nd worst team in MLB with a 1,635 W - 1.858 L record. I don't think anyone loves a participation trophy, but it's certainly far more enjoyable (and much closer to a World Series) than decades of irrelevance. All the money the Yankees spend and they've made the WS one time since their last win in 2009. All the money the Phillies spend and they've made the WS one time since their B2B trips in 2008/09. Cohen is the richest owner in the game, has spent obscene amounts on the Mets, and they've missed the playoffs in three of his five seasons owning the team winning 38 fewer games than the Brewers over that stretch. Last time the Mets did make the World Series in 2015 their OD payroll ranked 21st in MLB per Cot's. The Padres were one of the most All In Go For It teams around when Papa Seidler was still alive, they still missed the playoffs two of the last five years, won 30 fewer games than the Brewers over that stretch, didn't make the World Series. Going back to 2017 one of the Dodgers/Astros was in the World Series every season except for 2023, and they combined to take up nine of the 18 available spots. It's hard enough to make it to the World Series to begin with, it gets exponentially harder when two teams have a monopoly on half the spots for approaching a decade. Even on this epic Dodgers run that started in 2013, they didn't reach the World Series until their 5th season and didn't win one until their 8th season in the pandemic altered 2020. They made it back to the NLCS in 2021, but went a combined 1 W - 6 L over the 2022-23 postseasons getting knocked out in the NLDS both years before finally winning a World Series after a full 162 game season in 2024, a dozen years after their first playoff appearance of the run. It took the mighty Dodgers eleven full seasons to get that first 162 Game WS win, the Brewers are going into year nine of their run for 2026.

Continuing the slow descent down to the players who finished seventh on their respective teams in WAR, and after only nine two win players on the #6 Players list there are only four more here, and (spoiler alert) three remaining on the forthcoming #8 Players list. Adding it all up gets us to 39.8 WAR or an average of 1.3 WAR each for the seventh best players on each team. Thinking at this point I'll do three more updates - #8 players, #10 players, and then everyone from #11 onward for each team to see how far above or below replacement level each team's replacements actually were. NUMBER SEVEN PLAYERS 01. Carson Kelly CHC (+1.3) 421 PA | 115 wRC+ | +7.7 DEF | 2.6 WAR [career best year after posting a 85 wRC+ and averaging 1.5 WAR per 421 PA from 2020-24. Probably a little good fortune in there as his actual wOBA rose from .304 in 2024 to .332 last year while his xwOBA only increased from .315 to .320] 02. Christian Yelich MIL (+1.1) 644 PA | 121 wRC+ | -16.7 DEF | 2.4 WAR [over the four seasons since his extension kicked in Yelich has posted 2,262 PA of 123 wRC+ for 11.4 WAR. Over his five seasons in Miami he put up 2,812 PA of 122 wRC+ for 17.5 WAR. Defense has obviously fallen off, but has +18.0 BSR these last four years compared to +17.1 BSR over his five years in MIA] 03. Wilyer Abreu BOS (+1.1) 417 PA | 110 wRC+ | +5.4 DEF | 2.4 WAR [his +32 DRS | +17 FRV are both first in RF over the last two years just ahead of Sal at +25 DRS | +14 FRV. Hasn't been a Fenway creation with a 122 wRC+ on the road versus a 104 wRC+ at home. Looking like a platoon only guy though with an ugly 67 wRC+ vs LHP] 04. Addison Barger TOR (+0.9) 502 PA | 107 wRC+ | +0.4 DEF | 2.2 WAR [followed up with 68 PA of 188 wRC+ over the Blue Jays World Series run for a nice first full season after 225 PA of a not so nice 69 wRC+ in 2024. Only real knock so far is an ugly 53 wRC+ vs LHP over 126 PA] 05. Giancarlo Stanton NYY (+0.6) 281 PA | 158 wRC+ | -8.8 DEF | 1.9 WAR [just two years left on his 13 year, $325M contract. Currently 47 HR shy of 500 for his career and has averaged 25 HR per year for the last three seasons. 06. Francsico Alvarez NYM (+0.5) 277 PA | 124 wRC+ | +1.8 DEF | 1.8 WAR [games played have declined from 123 to 100 to 76 over the last three years. After posting +6 DRS | +12 FRV in his 2023 debut has registered -6 DRS | -4 FRV over the last two years. Improved his xwOBA to .325 after posting a .297 mark from 2023-24] 07. Alec Bohm PHI (+0.4) 504 PA | 105 wRC+ | +0.2 DEF | 1.7 WAR [from 2020-24 Bohm hit for a 103 wRC+ and averaged 1.5 WAR per 504 PA] 08. Miguel Rojas LAD (+0.4) 317 PA | 100 wRC+ | +5.5 DEF | 1.7 WAR [has put up at least 1.1 WAR in eight of the last nine seasons. Hit for a career 85 wRC+, pair it with +76 DRS | +44 FRV defense around the infield (mostly at SS), and you too can play in the Majors for a decade plus] 09. Colt Keith DET (+0.3) 468 PA | 109 wRC+ | -8.0 DEF | 1.6 WAR [made decent progress at the plate with a .339 xwOBA under the hood after posting a 95 wRC+ and .313 xwOBA in 2024. Defensive fit is still up in the air with -9 DRS | -3 FRV between the three non-SS infield positions so far] 10. Pedro Pages STL (+0.3) 389 PA | 77 wRC+ | +15.9 DEF | 1.6 WAR [seems like a pretty stock casting limited hit, good glove catcher that can probably stick around MLB for a decade plus if his body holds up and the bat doesn't disappear completely] 11. Dominic Canzone SEA (+0.2) 268 PA | 141 wRC+ | -6.4 DEF | 1.5 WAR [after 370 PA of 84 wRC+ and .316 xwOBA to open his career surged to a .374 xwOBA over half a season in 2025] 12. Carlos Correa HOU (+0.2) 220 PA | 122 wRC+ | +2.7 DEF | 1.5 WAR [had a nice couple months back with the Astros playing third base after getting dealt at the deadline] 13. Ozzie Albies ATL (even) 667 PA | 87 wRC+ | -1.0 DEF | 1.3 WAR [from 2017-23 Albies put up a 110 wRC+ and averaged 6.3 WAR per 1,102 PA compared to only a 90 wRC+ and 2.6 WAR over 1,102 PA these last two years. Braves hold one more $7M option for 2027 (no buyout) on the extension he signed in 2019] 14. Luis Robert Jr. CHW (even) 431 PA | 84 wRC+ | +4.3 DEF | 1.3 WAR [from 2021-23 Robert Jr. hit for a 129 wRC+ and averaged 7.0 WAR per 856 PA compared to only an 84 wRC+ and 1.9 WAR over 856 PA these last two years] 15. Denzel Clarke ATH (even) 159 PA | 75 wRC+ | +10.1 DEF | 1.3 WAR [made a number of highlight reel plays and HR robberies after getting called up to Sacto as evidenced by +7 DRS | +11 FRV in only 383 innings. His actual .281 wOBA was considerably out in front of his .251 xwOBA, paired with a scary 3.8 BB% | 38.4 K% under the hood too] 16. Adley Rutschman BAL (-0.1) 365 PA | 91 wRC+ | +4.0 DEF | 1.2 WAR [from age 24 to 26 Adley had 1,795 PA of 120 wRC+ for 13.8 WAR before his injury hampered 2025 campaign. From age 24 to 26 Matt Wieters had 1,646 PA of 101 wRC+ for 11.9 WAR before an 86 wRC+ | 1.6 WAR age 27 season. Then came the cliff] 17. Gabriel Arias CLE (-0.2) 471 PA | 77 wRC+ | +6.9 DEF | 1.1 WAR [has 1,034 career PA with a 76 wRC+ and 33.3 K%, batted sixth for a Division Winner in the playoffs] 18. Willi Castro MIN (-0.2) 344 PA | 109 wRC+ | -5.4 DEF | 1.1 WAR [traded to CHC at the deadline where he hit for a 40 wRC+ over 110 PA shaking out to -0.5 WAR. On the FA market as a bat first (102 wRC+ last three years) utility option with questionable defense at a combined -47 DRS and -7 FRV for his career] 19. Spencer Steer CIN (-0.3) 568 PA | 97 wRC+ | -7.1 DEF | 1.0 WAR [after a decent enough 118 wRC+ and .333 xwOBA is his 2023 debut, Steer has put up 1,224 PA of 97 wRC+ and .304 xwOBA these last two years. Turned in an encouraging +8 DRS | +4 FRV at 1B in 2025, but will need the bat to bounce back if he wants to return to two win territory] 20. Liam Hicks MIA (-0.3) 390 PA | 98 wRC+ | -1.6 DEF | 1.0 WAR [solid debut for the Rule 5 pick from Detroit. Barring improvement bat profiles better at catcher (49 starts), than it does DH (34 starts) or 1B (23 starts). Might need to work on the throwing though with a 10.5 CS% that ranked 48th among 49 catchers with at least 400 innings. Teammate Augustin Ramirez was 49th with an 8.8 CS%] 21. Mike Yastrzemski SFG (-0.3) 372 PA | 95 wRC+ | -1.9 DEF | 1.0 WAR [traded to KCR at deadline, where he turned it up for 186 PA of 127 wRC+. Put it all together and his 106 wRC+ for the season as a whole was right in line with the 105 wRC+ he put up over 1,945 PA from 2021-24] 22. Kyle Higashioka TEX (-0.3) 327 PA | 93 wRC+ | +2.3 DEF | 1.0 WAR [good example of the bad starter, good backup archetype for a catcher. Among 59 players with at least 500 PA behind the dish since 2022 Kyle is at 1,017 PA (28th) | 91 wRC+ (26th) | +34.2 DEF (15th) | 5.5 WAR (21st) with between 1.0 and 1.6 WAR in each of the four seasons] 23. Blaze Alexander ARI (-0.3) 266 PA | 99 wRC+ | +2.7 DEF | 1.0 WAR [small samples all around, but Blaze looks like a utility guy who has graded out at a combined +9 DRS | +4 FRV between second, third and outfield, but has posted -6 DRS | -7 FRV at shortstop] 24. Luis Arraez SDP (-0.4) 675 PA | 104 wRC+ | -16.6 DEF | 0.9 WAR [the lone player with at least 800 singles since his debut in 2019. Only Trea Turner (734) and Freddie Freeman (703) cracked seven hundred. Just nine more are in the six hundreds] 25. Danny Jansen TBR (-0.4) 259 PA | 98 wRC+ | +0.5 DEF | 0.9 WAR [after posting a 121 wRC+ and averaging 5.3 WAR per 661 PA from 2021-23, Jansen has fallen off to a 97 wRC+ and only 1.8 WAR over 661 PA these last two years] 26. Ke'Bryan Hayes PIT (-0.5) 392 PA | 57 wRC+ | +13.2 DEF | 0.8 WAR [traded to CIN at the deadline. After posting a 91 wRC+ and averaging 5.8 WAR per 966 PA from 2021-23, Ke'Bryan's offense has cratered to a 63 wRC+ and only 1.5 WAR over 966 PA these last two years. Has +31 DRS and +27 FRV more than the 2nd best 3B since his debut in 2021] 27. Luis Garcia WAS (-0.6) 526 PA | 91 wRC+ | -3.9 DEF | 0.7 WAR [after a 110 wRC+ and .331 xwOBA in 2024 his xwOBA ticked up slightly to .337 in 2025 but the actual results did not follow suit. Might be a contender for worst defensive infielder of the 2020's with -50 DRS | -30 FRV for his career] 28. Adam Frazier KCR (-0.7) 197 PA | 98 wRC+ | -1.0 DEF | 0.6 WAR [had a perfectly cromulent four season run with a 104 wRC+ and 8.4 WAR over 1,829 PA from 2018-21. Has put up 1,810 PA of 83 wRC+ and 1.9 WAR since] 29. Bryce Teodosio LAA (-0.7) 150 PA | 51 wRC+ | +8.1 DEF | 0.6 WAR [had never heard of this undrafted free agent who hit 236/317/369 (80 wRC+) with a 31.7 K% over 1,403 PA at AA/AAA. Graded out at +7 DRS | +9 FRV over only 406 innings in CF and has 98th percentile sprint speed] 30. Blaine Crim COL (-1.2) 61 PA | 113 wRC+ | -1.6 DEF | 0.1 WAR [had also never heard of this guy which isn't necessarily surprising since he was the 565th pick in the 2019 Draft and only got 61 PA with the Rockies. From what I can gather he is not related to former Brewers reliever Chuck Crim]

Ortiz (4.5 WAR) and Hall (0.6 rWAR) have already exceeded the value Burnes (4.5 rWAR) put up in his lone season as an Oriole. Blake Burke looms on the horizon too. Many were clamoring for power hitting 3B Coby Mayo from the Orioles instead and he has 340 PA of 81 wRC+ (with a 31.2 K%) shaking out to -0.3 WAR so far. He has somehow managed -4 DRS and -2 FRV in only 87 innings at third base.

Over 575 PA with the Tigers AAA affiliate from 2021-24 Akil hit 253/359/435 (114 wRC+) with a 13.7 BB% and 24.5 K%. Over 457 PA with the Tigers AAA affiliate in 2025 Akil hit 279/384/478 (135 wRC+) with a 14.5 BB% and 24.2 K%. Probably just a little BABIP luck, but you never know. Among 35 players with at least 1,500 innings in LF since 2021 Akil is at +16 DRS (7th) and +1 FRV (t-8th). Fits the run prevention mold for sure. Baddoo's +8.6 BSR ranks a nice 69th out of 360 players with at least 1,000 PA since 2021. Given that BSR is a counting stat and Akil was at an opportunity deficit relative to the other players, his 6.6 Speed Score (29th) probably does a better job of contextualizing his base running ability and puts him in the same range as guys like Trea Turner (6.7), Tommy Edman (6.6), and Oneil Cruz (6.6).

Obviously Turang & Durbin are at the extreme ends of the spectrum, but I think they (& guys like Luke Adams or Darrien Miller) do a pretty good job illustrating how much getting HBP’ed comes down to each batter’s willingness to wear one.

He might not have the most surface area for HBPs, but he's got the right mindset!! After Turang pulled his best Mikhail Baryshnikov to get out of the way of that Sasaki pitch in the NLCS, I checked and Bryce has 5 HBP in three years and 1,726 PA which is the third fewest HBP among 103 players with at least 1,500 PA over that stretch. Conversely, Durbin got hit with five pitches over his final 13 games and 55 PA of the season.

Came across Alec Bohm while working on the team depth project today and remembered there had been some discussion about him versus Durbin earlier in the season, so thought I'd bump now that the season is over and see how things shook out for the pair. Bohm 2025 (504 PA) 287/331/409 (105 wRC+) 5.8 BB% | 16.3 K% | .123 ISO -2.8 BSR | -3 FRV | 1.7 WAR Durbs 2025 (506 PA) 256/334/387 (105 wRC+) 5.9 BB% | 9.9 K% | .130 ISO +2.3 BSR | +1 FRV | 2.6 WAR 6'5" 218 lbs Alec Bohm hit 11 HR and drove in 59 runs. 5'7" 193 lbs Caleb Durbin hit 11 HR and drove in 53 runs. For the 2025 season anyway it looks like Bohm's only real advantage on Caleb was hitting singles, physical stature, and W-2.

Hitting Bo; 122 wRC+ Jo: 83 wRC+ Fielding Bo: -19 DRS | -27 FRV Jo: +8 DRS | +21 FRV Salary Bo: $27M Jo: 800K No doubt Bichette is a much better player, that’s why he’s trying for $200M. The Brewers probably aren’t interested in that kind of FA outlay at this point (especially for a player with injury issues that isn’t up to their defensive standards at SS), if they were they could have just re-signed the devil they knew in Adames.

Alonso 2021-25 (3384 PA) 253/338/504 (131 wRC+) 9.5 BB% | 21.9 K% | .252 ISO -71.0 DEF | 15.8 WAR Schwarbs 2021-25 (3276 PA) 232/353/514 (135 wRC+) 15.0 BB% | 28.6 K% | .282 ISO -100.0 DEF | 14.1 WAR Pretty close between the two $150M men over the last five years. Pete a little more contact in his game, not quite as horrendous on defense, and almost two years younger. Schwarbs more of the classic 3TO profile, coming off a better platform season.

Whatever pressure the Brewers might be feeling, I'd imagine the Cubs have to be feeling quite a bit more... 2018: Double indignity of losing B2B games at Wrigley to the Brewers in Game 163 then the Colorado Rockies in the NLWC (2018 really was a looong time ago) 2019-23: Miss playoffs every year besides pandemic (their 346 W - 362 L record has them barely ahead of the unserious crosstown organization White Sox at 342 W - 365 L during these five years) 2024: Sign Counsell to a record breaking contract (win 83 games, again) 2025: Make the big offseason trade for Kyle Tucker (improve to 92 wins, but still can't beat the Brewers for the Division or in the Playoffs) Maybe they double down and give Tucker $400M (doubtful with the Ricketts but one never knows until the ink dries somewhere), but just like with the Phillies and Schwarber that would just get them back closer to where they were last year (but now at long term, market rates).

Think that proposal is more likely to get you banned from Athletics Fanatic. Not sure ATH has any interest in dealing Kurtz and if they did the ask would probably be for guys like Misio and/or Made with high upside and multiple years of team control remaining.

Chris Bassitt is a free agent.

Getting further into the back half of the project with the #6 player on each team's leaderboard and we're down to the last three win player plus only eight more who cracked two wins. All told the sixth best players on their teams totaled 47.6 WAR for an average of 1.6 WAR each. Looking at the spot to spot difference the curve is definitely flattening out with the spot to spot drop offs narrowing from 1.5 WAR between #1 to #2, and 0.9 WAR between #2 to #3, now down to a 0.3/0.4 WAR difference between each of the last three spots. Knowing already that the #9 spot averages 0.8 WAR leaves only another 0.8 WAR to be split up between the next three drops so the margins look like they'll continue getting narrower from here on out. NUMBER SIX PLAYERS 01. Austin Wells NYY (+1.4) 448 PA | 94 wRC+ | +18.2 DEF | 3.0 WAR [traded walks (11.4 BB% down to 6.7 BB%) for power (.167 ISO up to .217 ISO) and strikeouts (21.0 K% up to 26.3 K%) from 2024 to 2025. His 6.5 WAR behind the dish the last two years puts him in the top half dozen catchers over that stretch along with Raleigh (13.4 WAR), Contreras (8.4 WAR), Bailey (7.4 WAR), Kirk (7.2 WAR), and Will Smith (6.4 WAR)] 02. Max Muncy LAD (+1.3) 388 PA | 137 wRC+ | -1.8 DEF | 2.9 WAR [after 1,144 PA of a ho-hum 112 wRC+ from 2022-23, Max has kicked things up to a 135 wRC+ these last two years, but only over 681 PA. Going back to his first season with LAD in 2018 Muncy is 37th in MLB with 23.3 WAR while his 129 wRC+ lands him in 26th over that stretch. He also has a matching 129 wRC+ over 328 postseason PA with the Dodgers] 03. Ian Happ CHC (+1.2) 663 PA | 116 wRC+ | -3.7 DEF | 2.8 WAR [four time gold glove LF has been pretty consistent at the plate between a 116 and 122 wRC+ each of the last four seasons. After posting +4.1 BSR and sprint speed between the 60th and 67th percentile from 2021 to 2024, dropped down to -3.3 BSR and 48th percentile sprint speed in 2025] 04. Carlos Narvaez BOS (+1.1) 446 PA | 97 wRC+ | +14.2 DEF | 2.7 WAR [acquired via trade with NYY in a deal between rival ALE clubs. Yankees got LHP Elmer Rodriguez who dominated to the tune of a 64 ERA- | 67 FIP- over 150 innings mostly at A+/AA this year. Metrics liked Narvaez behind the plate with +10 DRS | +9 FRV in his rookie campaign] 05. Isaac Collins MIL (+1.0) 441 PA | 122 wRC+ | -2.1 DEF | 2.6 WAR [out of nowhere full season debut for the 27 year old. Profile was buoyed by a 12.9 BB% that ranked 22nd of 277 players with at least 300 PA last year, and a 24.6% line drive rate that ranked 14th. With a .344 actual wOBA compared to a .319 xwOBA there was probably some good fortune in there though] 06. Daulton Varsho TOR (+0.6) 271 PA | 123 wRC+ | +4.7 DEF | 2.2 WAR [career best year at the plate with a small sample .310 isolated slugging compared to a career .189 ISO over 2,116 PA entering the season. Premier defensive OF in baseball over the last four years with his +85 DRS and +52 FRV both tops in MLB since 2022] 07. JT Realmuto PHI (+0.5) 550 PA | 94 wRC+ | +5.3 DEF | 2.1 WAR [best backstop in baseball from 2016-22 with 3,282 PA of 116 wRC+ (and the ultra rare +18.8 BSR from a catcher) shaking out to 29.9 WAR. Has only managed 1,492 PA of 101 wRC+ for 6.2 WAR behind the dish over the last three years. Best FA catcher on the market] 08. Jeff McNeil NYM (+0.5) 462 PA | 111 wRC+ | -0.5 DEF | 2.1 WAR [after posting a 6.7 BB% and .141 ISO over his first 3,159 PA, Jeff upped his walk rate big time to 10.6% and his ISO slightly to .168 in 2025. His K% remained identical at 11.9%, while his BABIP dipped from .312 for his career entering the season to .253 in 2025] 09. Lawrence Butler ATH (+0.4) 630 PA | 96 wRC+ | -2.2 DEF | 2.0 WAR [sophmore slump after a 130 wRC+ and .339 xwOBA during his 2024 full season debut with his xwOBA dipping down to .305 in 2025. Was probably overexposed against lefties with a 52 wRC+ that ranked 226th of 240 players with at least 100 PA vs southpaws in 2025, though his 106 wRC+ vs righties wasn't all that encouraging either] 10. Josh Naylor SEA (+0.2) 210 PA | 137 wRC+ | -1.2 DEF | 1.8 WAR [trade deadline acquisition from ARI went off for a 176 wRC+ over 51 postseason PA with the Mariners. Re-signed with SEA for five years, $92.5M] 11. Victor Scott II STL (+0.1) 463 PA | 76 wRC+ | +9.2 DEF | 1.7 WAR [another one of those defense (& speed) first guys like Joey Ortiz that inspired this whole endeavor. His 30.2 ft/sec sprint speed was tied with Bobby Witt Jr. and Byron Buxton for second fastest in MLB last year just behind Trea Turner at 30.3 ft/sec. Brandon Lockridge was one of three more at 30.1 ft/sec] 12. Wenceel Perez DET (+0.1) 383 PA | 103 wRC+ | +0.3 DEF | 1.7 WAR [has graded out well in RF with +4 DRS | +4 FRV over 1,272 innings at the nine, but hasn't quite shown that corner OF bat as of yet] 13. Yainer Diaz HOU (even) 567 PA | 92 wRC+ | +3.0 DEF | 1.6 WAR [bat first catcher whose offense dipped from a 120 wRC+ over 996 PA from 2023-24. Defense is pretty suspect, among 33 catchers with at least 1,500 innings since 2023 Yainer comes in at +1 DRS (17th) | -3 FRV (19th) | -11.5 framing (23rd)] 14. Michael Harris II ATL (-0.2) 641 PA | 83 wRC+ | +3.0 DEF | 1.4 WAR [arrow pointing down at the plate going from a 137 wRC+ in his 2022 NL ROY season, to a 115 wRC+ in 2023, to a 99 wRC+ in 2024, and now an 83 wRC+ in 2025. His 4,583 innings in CF since 2022 are second in MLB behind Julio Rodriguez (5,008 innings) with MHII posting +26 DRS and +30 FRV (both 8th among CF during that stretch)] 15. Josh Naylor ARI (-0.2) 394 PA | 122 wRC+ | -8.7 DEF | 1.4 WAR [traded to SEA at the deadline, see above] 16. Matt Wallner MIN (-0.2) 392 PA | 114 wRC+ | -5.8 DEF | 1.4 WAR [after hitting for a 148 wRC+ and .366 xwOBA over 515 PA from 2023-24, Wallner fell off to a .325 xwOBA to go along with his 114 wRC+ in 2025. His matching -9 DRS and -9 FRV each rank 99th among 128 players with at least 1,500 innings in the OF since 2022] 17. Evan Carter TEX (-0.2) 220 PA | 107 wRC+ | +1.8 DEF | 1.4 WAR [after an impressive small sample 2023 debut for the World Series Champions (75 PA of 184 wRC+ in the regular season, 72 PA of 158 wRC+ in the postseason) Carter hasn't been able to stay on the field playing just 108 games in the two years since with diminished results] 18. Gavin Sheets SDP (-0.3) 545 PA | 111 wRC+ | -10.3 DEF | 1.3 WAR [decent rebound season with the bat after 1,255 PA of 85 wRC+ from 2022-24 with the White Sox. Should probably be limited to DH / 1B only with -27 DRS | -18 FRV over 2,097 career innings in the OF] 19. Chase Meidroth CHW (-0.3) 505 PA | 87 wRC+ | +4.9 DEF | 1.3 WAR [acquired from BOS in the Garrett Crochet trade. Posted a solid 0.63 BB/K rate in the same Top Forty-ish range as guys like Jake Cronenworth (0.64), Brendan Donovan (0.63), Isaac Collins (0.61), and Caleb Durbin (0.60). Very similar StatCast page to Durbin, too] 20. Kyle Manzardo CLE (-0.4) 531 PA | 113 wRC+ | -14.2 DEF | 1.2 WAR [one of three different players traded straight up for Aaron Civale at various points and times along with Gregory Barrios and Andrew Vaughn. Good example of how high the bar is for bat only players with a perfectly cromulent 113 wRC+ but not a whole lot of value on account of being a mostly DH / bad defensive 1B] 21. Cedric Mullins BAL (-0.4) 355 PA | 106 wRC+ | -3.9 DEF | 1.2 WAR [traded to NYM at the deadline where he put up 143 PA of 66 wRC+ down the stretch for the Mets. Recently signed a one year $7.5M contract with the Rays] 22. Heliot Ramos SFG (-0.5) 695 PA | 106 wRC+ | -15.1 DEF | 1.1 WAR [lost 14 points of wRC+ (120 to 106), 56 points of ISO (.200 to .144), and two runs on the bases (-0.6 to -2.6 BSR) from his first full season in 2024. Among 96 players with at least 1,000 innings in the OF last two years Heliot is at -15 DRS (86th) and -14 FRV (90th)] 23. Noelvi Marte CIN (-0.5) 360 PA | 101 wRC+ | -3.1 DEF | 1.1 WAR [decent bounceback after a PED suspension and 242 PA of 48 wRC+ in 2024. Has graded out terrible at 3B with -13 DRS | -12 FRV in 989 innings, but early returns of +5 DRS | 0 FRV over 437 innings in RF are more promising] 24. Jesus Sanchez MIA (-0.5) 337 PA | 104 wRC+ | -1.7 DEF | 1.1 WAR [from 2021-24 Jesus had a 102 wRC+ and averaged 1.0 WAR per 337 PA. Traded to the Astros at the deadline and tanked to 160 PA of 71 wRC+ for an even 0.0 WAR down the stretch] 25. Jose Caballero TBR (-0.6) 275 PA | 84 wRC+ | +1.9 DEF | 1.0 WAR [traded to NYY at deadline and went off for 95 PA of 134 wRC+ after posting just an 88 wRC+ over his first 1,038 career PA. Among 229 players with at least 1,000 PA since 2023 comes in at 19th with +11.5 BSR. Has good defensive metrics all around the diamond with +9 DRS | +5 FRV at 2B, +4 DRS | +4 FRV at 3B, +5 DRS | +9 FRV at SS] 26. Nick Gonzales PIT (-0.7) 408 PA | 82 wRC+ | +4.6 DEF | 0.9 WAR [now up to 923 career PA of an uninspiring 84 wRC+ for #7 overall pick in the 2020 Draft. Fielding in Dispute candidate with -16 DRS versus +1 FRV over 1,695 innings at 2B] 27. Nasim Nunez WAS (-0.8) 92 PA | 94 wRC+ | +3.4 DEF | 0.8 WAR [when your utility infielder who was only on the MLB roster for like half the season and didn't even crack 100 PA or wRC+ is your sixth best player...well, flags fly forever anyway] 28. Yoan Moncada LAA (-0.9) 289 PA | 117 wRC+ | -8.5 DEF | 0.7 WAR [bat bounced back nicely after 790 PA of 86 wRC+ from 2022-23, but defense cratered to -10 DRS | -9 FRV and he missed half the year] 29. Carter Jensen KCR (-0.9) 69 PA | 159 wRC+ | -0.5 DEF | 0.7 WAR [impressive small sample September debut for the Royals third rounder from the 2021 Draft. Should see plenty of time in the DH / C rotation along with Sal Perez in 2026] 30. Brenton Doyle COL (-1.2) 538 PA | 65 wRC+ | +7.3 DEF | 0.4 WAR [riding the roller coaster from 431 PA of a deplorable 44 wRC+ in 2023, up to 603 PA of a mostly cromulent 97 wRC+ in 2024, back down to 538 PA of an Ortiz-ian 65 wRC+ in 2025. Top half dozen or so defensive OF in MLB with +29 DRS | +44 FRV over the last three years]

Always fun to compare our current prospects to ex-Brewers, how about JJ Hardy in the years he didn't hit for power as a comp for Cooper? 2005-06 Hardy 566 PA | 82 wRC+ | +16.0 DEF | 2.1 WAR 2009-10 Hardy 840 PA | 83 wRC+ | +23.4 DEF | 3.1 WAR 2014 Hardy 569 PA | 90 wRC+ | +17.9 DEF | 3.0 WAR 2016 Hardy 438 PA | 90 wRC+ | +7.6 DEF | 1.5 WAR I don't think Pratt will have quite as good a glove as JJ did (his +86 DRS at SS are 6th all time since they started tracking in 2003) but Cooper should be a much better asset on the bases (Hardy was -24.0 BSR for his career), projects to walk more (Hardy only had a 6.5 BB%), and is still young enough to figure out how to maybe tap into some 20 HR power a couple two tree years down the road. Barring a chance to acquire an established MLB player with multiple years of service time remaining I'd hold on Pratt for now.

Yeah, loved The Chair Company too. That was my first foray into the world of Tim Robinson beside his all timer Roundball Rock skit on SNL.

Defense is the big one for sure. The Brewers' +145 DRS is 3rd and their +112 FRV is 1st in MLB over the last three years. Along the line of finding guys with individual strengths, I think the Brewers seem to target certain batted ball profiles with the pitchers they acquire too. Over the last three years they are 3rd highest with a 105 FB%+, 1st lowest with a 96 LD%+, and 7th lowest with a 97 GB%+. Here are the average batting lines for each batted ball type in 2025... Ground Balls 245/245/269 Fly Balls 208/203/637 Line Drives 629/622/871 Obviously line drives are far and away the worst, so limiting them to the extent the Brewers have over the last three years is a really good starting point. Ground balls are the best since they rarely go for extra base hits, but the one advantage fly balls have is that as long as you can keep them from going for extra bases they have the lowest batting average among the different ball in play types. I think that all kind of ties into how Brewers' pitchers have a middling home run rate with an even 100 HR9+ (15th in MLB) over the last three years on account of all the fly balls, but with the tradeoff of being the very best at limiting hits (93 AVG+) and stranding runners on base (105 LOB%+) leading to them also allowing the fewest runs (87 ERA-).

Brewers have been among the best FIP beaters in all of MLB since Stearns / Arnold got here. From 2016-22 they posted a -0.16 gap (4th best in MLB) between their 3.94 ERA and 4.10 FIP which shook out to about an extra 13 wins between their 116.0 runs allowed based WAR (7th in MLB) and their 102.9 FIP based WAR (8th in MLB). Since Arnold took over in 2023 it they've taken things to a whole other level with a 3.66 ERA to go along with their 4.10 FIP (again) for an MLB best -0.44 gap. CLE is second all the way down at -0.29 gap. Put it all together and despite their 46.9 FIP based WAR placing them down at 12th in MLB over the last three years, their 69.9 runs allowed based WAR is tied with PHI for the most in MLB and shakes out to like 23 extra wins over the last three years.

Quick Recap. Average Values to this point are at #1 (5.1 WAR), #2 (3.6 WAR), #3 (2.7 WAR), #4 (2.3 WAR), and now the thirty players who were fifth on their respective teams totaled 58.8 WAR for a 1.96 or rounded 2.0 WAR average. Pretty fitting that the middle player averages just shy of two WAR as that has always been the kind of the quick and dirty benchmark measure of an "average" player. The Team Depth Project Standings below are starting to show some interesting groupings as well with six of the nine regular spots now complete. There are six teams at the top who haven't been below average at any spot, plus three more that only missed by 0.1 WAR on the ninth spot. Then there are eight teams at the bottom that have been below average at every spot thus far, plus two more that only snuck above average by 0.1/0.2 WAR on the ninth spot. Pretty good illustration of how talent is concentrated more heavily among the competitive teams with only CIN making the playoffs or finishing above .500 of those bottom ten teams. NUMBER FIVE PLAYERS 01. Mookie Betts LAD (+1.4) 663 PA | 104 wRC+ | +8.6 DEF | 3.4 WAR [career worst season at the plate after dealing with some kind of virus entering spring training but closed the season with 210 PA of a much more Mookie-eque 147 wRC+] 02. Dansby Swanson CHC (+1.3) 645 PA | 99 wRC+ | 6.9 DEF | 3.3 WAR [tried to find out if Dansby was heir to the Swanson Hungry Man TV Dinner Empire and all I could find out is that his dad's named Cooter] 03. Ernie Clement TOR (+1.2) 588 PA | 98 wRC+ | +11.7 DEF | 3.2 WAR [pretty good example of the ok bat, good glove archetype who went off for 77 PA of 171 wRC+ during the Blue Jays World Series run. Extreme ball in play guy with a 3.7 BB% that ranks 267th of 272 players with at least 600 PA the last two years, and a 9.8 K% that is 5th lowest on that same list] 04. Ben Rice NYY (+1.0) 530 PA | 133 wRC+ | -6.8 DEF | 3.0 WAR [nice development for the 12th rounder from Dartmouth in 2021. Pretty even split on games between 1B (50), DH (48) and catcher (36) in 2025] 05. Jake Cronenworth SDP (+0.9) 515 PA | 117 wRC+ | +1.3 DEF | 2.9 WAR [got in on that 2022-23 Padres extension mania and still has 5/60 left through age 36. Keep banking a couple two tree WAR a year and its a perfectly cromulent deal] 06. Gabriel Moreno ARI (+0.7) 309 PA | 117 wRC+ | +10.1 DEF | 2.7 WAR [among 31 players with at least 700 PA behind the dish over the last three years Gabriel is at a 113 wRC+ (6th) | +32.5 DEF (11th) | 7.9 WAR (7th), only issue has been health as he's yet to reach 400 PA in a season] 07. Roman Anthony BOS (+0.7) 303 PA | 140 wRC+ | +0.9 DEF | 2.7 WAR [big time prospect came up and mashed big time. Wasn't just feasting on Fenway either with reverse home (120 wRC+) and road (158 wRC+) splits] 08. Jorge Polanco SEA (+0.6) 524 PA | 132 wRC+ | -12.3 DEF | 2.6 WAR [career best year at the plate with most of the damage coming in the hitter's nightmare of T-Mobile Park posting a 158 wRC+ at home. After only 45 total games at the DH spot for his career entering the season had 89 games there last year] 09. Caleb Durbin MIL (+0.6) 506 PA | 105 wRC+ | +3.6 DEF | 2.6 WAR [graded out solidly with +5 DRS | +1 FRV at 3B despite only 67 scattered games of professional experience there prior to 2025. Walked (30 BB) and got plunked (24 HBP) more than he struck out (50 K)] 10. Brent Rooker ATH (+0.4) 699 PA | 122 wRC+ | -18.4 DEF | 2.4 WAR [his 1442 PA | 136 wRC+ | 7.3 WAR make him the 4th best DH in MLB over the last three years behind Schwarber (139 wRC+ | 8.8 WAR), Marcell Ozuna (139 wRC+ | 9.3 WAR) and Ohtani (176 wRC+ | 21.5 WAR ROFL). Judge rounds out the top five with 608 PA of 191 wRC+ shaking out to a nice 6.9 WAR when in the DH spot] 11. Brandon Marsh PHI (+0.4) 425 PA | 116 wRC+ | -1.3 DEF | 2.4 WAR [among 144 players with at least 2,000 PA since 2021, Brandon's .371 BABIP is two dozen points ahead of Judge in second with a .347 BABIP. To find a player with higher BABIP over that stretch you have to lower the min. PA all the way down to 400 and that player is...Garrett Mitchell with a .376 BABIP] 12. Spencer Torkelson DET (+0.3) 649 PA | 118 wRC+ | -12.4 DEF | 2.3 WAR [nice mini breakout for the #1 overall pick in 2020 after 1,469 PA of 94 wRC+ to start his MLB career] 13. Brett Baty NYM (+0.3) 432 PA | 111 wRC+ | +2.1 DEF | 2.3 WAR [showing signs of life in his age 25 season after 602 PA of 71 wRC+ and -0.1 WAR to open his career. Also boosted his xwOBA to .335 after a combined .297 mark over those first 602 PA] 14. Jose Altuve HOU (+0.1) 654 PA | 113 wRC+ | -10.5 DEF | 2.1 WAR [after hitting for a 140 wRC+ and averaging 11.8 WAR per 1,336 PA over his ten year prime from 2014-23 Altuve has dipped to a 120 wRC+ and 6.0 WAR over 1,336 PA these last two years. Was a disaster in LF (-10 DRS | -5 FRV in only 371 innings) and not much better back at 2B (-8 DRS | -1 FRV in 499 innings). Had 156 hits last year and would need to average 153 hits over the four years remaining on his contract to reach 3K hits at age 39] 15. Alec Burleson STL (+0.1) 546 PA | 124 wRC+ | -12.4 DEF | 2.1 WAR [figured out the hitting part this year after 995 PA of 97 wRC+ to start his career. Among 103 players with at least 1,500 innings in the OF the last three years he comes in at -12 DRS (87th) and -17 FRV (96th) so might be headed to more regular DH duty] 16. Brandon Lowe TBR (-0.3) 553 PA | 114 wRC+ | -9.3 DEF | 1.7 WAR [the term "professional hitter" comes to mind. Eight seasons in MLB and has never had a wRC+ below 103. His career 123 wRC+ is one point off of previously referred to "professional hitter" Willson Contreras with a 122 career mark] 17. Josh Jung TEX (-0.3) 511 PA | 91 wRC+ | +5.6 DEF | 1.7 WAR [had a nice rookie season in 2023 with a 114 wRC+ and 2.8 WAR then chipped in 70 PA of 132 wRC+ during the Rangers World Series run. Will try to regain that form in his age 28 season] 18. Austin Riley ATL (-0.3) 447 PA | 103 wRC+ | +1.1 DEF | 1.7 WAR [after 2,070 PA of 136 wRC+ shaking out to 16.1 WAR from 2021-23 the Braves are surely hoping for a healthy return to form in 2026 after only 916 PA of 110 wRC+ for 4.1 WAR these last two years] 19. Kody Clemns MIN (-0.5) 379 PA | 98 wRC+ | +1.3 DEF | 1.5 WAR [son of Roger is at 781 PA of 81 wRC+ for 1.2 WAR since his debut in 2022. Anthony Rendon put up 614 PA of 87 wRC for 1.0 WAR over that same stretch. Andruw Monasterio is at 592 PA of 89 wRC+ for 1.0 WAR since his debut in 2023] 20. Miguel Vargas CHW (-0.7) 569 PA | 101 wRC+ | -6.9 DEF | 1.3 WAR [Acquired by the White Sox in the Edman / Kopech / Fedde three way at the 2024 deadline. Decent full season debut after 591 PA of 64 wRC+ to open his career. Has graded out terrible with a combined -8 DRS | -11 FRV in 1,569 innings at 2B/3B, but small sample of 536 innings at 1B has been better with +6 DRS | +1 FRV] 21. Rafael Devers SFG (-0.7) 395 PA | 126 wRC+ | -8.9 DEF | 1.3 WAR [the Giants 41 W - 31 L record on June 16th would have been good enough for the second Wild Card if the playoffs started June 17th. Instead that was the day Devers joined the team and they went 40 W - 50 L over their last ninety games] 22. Heriberto Hernandez MIA (-0.7) 294 PA | 118 wRC+ | -2.0 DEF | 1.3 WAR [nice half season debut for the 25 year old corner outfielder / DH. Actual .341 wOBA wasn't too far ahead of his .331 xwOBA] 23. Jackson Holliday BAL (-0.8) 649 PA | 96 wRC+ | -4.3 DEF | 1.2 WAR [after posting a 154 wRC+ that was just one point behind Daulton Rushing for the best mark in all of MiLB from 2022-24 (min. 1000 PA), Jackson (62 to 96 to ?? wRC+) could maybe be following that Brice Turang (61 to 88 to 124 wRC+) progression. Still just 22 years old] 24. Jo Adell LAA (-0.8) 573 PA | 112 wRC+ | -16.6 DEF | 1.2 WAR [after putting up 1,070 PA | 79 wRC+ | -17.9 DEF | -1.2 WAR from 2020 to 2024, this past year evened things out for the former top prospect] 25. Austin Hedges CLE (-0.8) 180 PA | 51 wRC+ | +16.9 DEF | 1.2 WAR [if you thought Patrick Bailey was all glove no bat, Austin Hedges would like you to hold his beer. Of 243 players with at least 2,500 PA since 2015 Austin's 50 wRC+ is 243rd and his +165.9 DEF is 2nd. Only five other players of the 243 are at a 75 wRC+ or under...Billy Hamilton (62), Martin Maldonado (68), Alcides Escobar (68), Nick Ahmed (73), and Orlando Arcia (75)] 26. Bryan Reynolds PIT (-0.9) 654 PA | 99 wRC+ | -11.1 DEF | 1.1 WAR [if the Pirates are going to have any chance of doing anything during the Skenes Era they'll need Reynolds to bounce back to that 2022-24 form where he hit for a 117 wRC+ and averaged 2.4 WAR per 654 PA] 27. Kyle Isbel KCR (-0.9) 409 PA | 79 wRC+ | +7.7 DEF | 1.1 WAR [if you thought Blake Perkins (career 85 wRC+ | +18 DRS | +18 FRV) was an all glove no bat CF, get a load of Kyle Isbel (career 78 wRC+ | +38 DRS | +36 FRV)] 28. Tyler Stephenson CIN (-0.9) 342 PA | 99 wRC+ | +0.8 DEF | 1.1 WAR [among 29 catchers with at least 2,500 innings since 2021, Tyler comes in at -23 DRS and -27 FRV (both ranking 27th). Strikeout rate exploded from a 23.4 K% over his first 1,637 PA all the way up to 33.9 K% last year] 29. Alex Call WAS (-1.2) 237 PA | 116 wRC+ | -3.0 DEF | 0.8 WAR [have to imagine he was pretty ecstatic when he found out the Dodgers traded for him at the deadline. Quintessential 4th OF type with a career 102 wRC+ and +9 DRS | +4 FRV between all three spots on the grass] 30. Mickey Moniak COL (-1.4) 461 PA | 110 wRC+ | -15.9 DEF | 0.6 WAR [number one overall pick in 2016, maybe the worst draft in history? Only one first rounder has cracked ten WAR on BRef with Will Smith (pick #32 at 23.0 WAR). Nick Lodolo (pick #41 at 8.5 WAR) is next closest]

There are a couple different methods out there for attempting to capture the ever elusive "clutch-ness" of a player. One is just straight Win Probability Added, where Isaac came in at +0.97 WPA good enough for fifth on the team behind Contreras (+2.34), Turang (+1.14), Durbin (+1.10), and Chourio (+1.02). Vaughn (+0.92) was just behind Collins before a small drop off to Yelich (+0.65), Frelick (+0.51), Hoskins (+0.41), and Bauers (+0.23) rounding out the Top Ten. FanGraphs also has a measure on that same linked leaderboard they label Clutch, which more or less compares how a player performs in high leverage situations versus low and medium leverage situations. For this stat the baseline is not zeroed out to the league as a whole, but rather to each individual player's own performance. For instance, Joey Ortiz was turrrible this year at the plate (67 wRC+) so he came out at -1.03 WPA. But his high leverage plate appearances (101 wRC+), were much better than his low leverage (54 wRC+) and medium leverage (77 wRC+) ones so his 0.62 Clutch was second on the team behind only Contreras with a 0.81 Clutch. By that measure Collins came in at 0.27 Clutch grouped together in a range from fourth to eighth on the team with Mitchell (0.33), Hoskins (0.31), Vaughn (0.25), and Chourio (0.20). Collins did really well in high leverage PA with a 142 wRC+ that was only behind Chourio (156 wRC+) among Brewers with regular PA, but Isaac also did decent in low leverage (118 wRC+) and medium leverage (122 wRC+) so that hurts his Clutch score somewhat by that methodology.

Nathan Fielder’s shows are singular experiences unto themselves. Rehearsal S2 was the pinnacle for me, but The Curse and Rehearsal S1 are well worth it too.