sveumrules

Because the regular season also happens (and is considerably longer than the postseason). Over the twelve seasons before Attanasio bought the team they had a losing record every year and the 2nd worst record in MLB among non-expansion teams. Over the twenty plus years since they have won the 8th most games in MLB.

You don't think trading peanuts for a Top Two catcher in baseball moved the needle? Extending Chourio so we can keep him beyond his first 5/6 years didn't move the needle either? Tough crowd. Looking at position players since 2023 it's mostly homegrown guys and Yelich/Adames who have provided most of the WAR, but as far as Arnold acquisitions there is Contreras (12.0 WAR) at the top, Joey Ortiz (2.7 WAR) & Blake Perkins (2.6 WAR) in 7th/9th, then guys like Mark Canha (0.9 WAR), Rhys Hoskins (0.8 WAR), Carlos Santana (0.7 WAR), Eric Haase (0.6 WAR), and Jake Bauers (0.5 WAR) who have provided more marginal value. Pitching side is quite a bit more Arnold heavy with Tobias Myers (3.8 rWAR), Colin Rea (3.3 rWAR), Wade Miley (3.3 rWAR), Bryan Hudson (2.6 rWAR), Bryse Wilson (2.3 rWAR), Joel Payamps (2.3 rWAR), Trevor Megill (1.9 rWAR), and Jared Koenig (1.9 rWAR) taking up eight of the nine spots between #4 and #12 and then guys like Elvis Peguero (1.4 rWAR), Aaron Civale (1.3 rWAR), Chad Patrick (1.3 rWAR), Jose Quintana (1.0 rWAR), Julio Teheran (0.8 rWAR), Joe Ross (0.7 rWAR), Enoli Paredes (0.7 rWAR), Jakob Junis (0.6 rWAR), and Nick Mears (0.6 WAR) filling up most of the next dozen spots. Add it all up and on the position player side there are 18 players to put up at least 0.5 WAR with the Brewers since 2023, Arnold acquired eight of those players totaling 20.8 WAR of the 53.0 WAR total. On the pitching side there are 25 players to put up at least 0.5 rWAR with the Brewers since 2023, Arnold acquired 17 of those players totaling 29.8 rWAR of the 55.0 rWAR total. With the negative momentum hanging over the team from the deadline in 2022 to Stearns taking the last year of his contract off at the end of that season (and then again a year later with Counsell's heel turn) it's not hard to imagine a parallel reality where the Brewers have 365 games of mediocrity (or worse) under their belt as of today instead of two runaway Division Titles and 41 games of mediocrity. Leaving Smith unprotected is the only real blemish on his record for me so far, early returns on the Priester trade aren't great but realistically we won't know for a couple two tree years who "won" the trade depending how the prospects/pick progress for BOS and to what extent MIL can develop Priester into a useful SP twixt now and then.

Oliva single, to second on an EMJ walk, to third on an Alfaro GIDP, then home on a Seigler single got them one in the fourth. Then in the fifth it was a Hall double, Herron single, and Dunn HBP that loaded em up for a 2 RBI Oliva double then a 2 RBI Alfaro single to make it 5-2 NASH. Bruce Zimmerman has filled the bulk role with 6 K vs 1 H over four scoreless.

Obviously early still with only about 20% of the total games played compared to last year, ACL just underway and DSL still a bit off, but Brewers affiliates are currently rocking an 81 W - 59 L record good for a .579 W%. Last year, with five of seven affiliates on the right side of .500, they finished 389 W - 320 L (.549 W%). Even more impressive to be doing all that winning with the youngest hitters & pitchers in the Carolina League, 2nd youngest hitters & pitchers in the Midwest League, and the youngest hitters in the Southern League.

Yeah, I figured between his age (27 this year), and having a solid season (3.17 FIP was 15th of 74 Southern Leaguers min. 50 IP) in the closers role he was a lock for the NASH pen. I’m sure the dev team had a more detailed plan for him than “strikeout more walk fewer” but he’s at a 32.7 K% | 5.8 BB% so far versus a 25.9 K% | 8.8 BB% last year.

New guy hasn’t been much better. Walked Marco for another run and now Bitonti has knocked another home with a sac fly. 5-0 Carolina.

RBI fielders choice in Made’s second PA makes it 3-0 Carolina. & he promptly steals second. & now Luis Peña has walked to load the bases for Marco Dinges. Still just one out.

Filippo Di Turi pinch hit for DH Braylon Payne to lead off the Carolina second, something to keep an eye on. He walked, followed by a Demetrio Nadal HBP, two on nobody out for the 7-8-9 hitters.

Make that 23 games with a leadoff walk & stolen bag.

First two starts were rough but he looked more like the 2024 version of Tobias in his last two appearances. See if he can keep that positive momentum going.

Opens the frame with a walk and wild pitch but bounces back with a K, lineout and another K to nail down the 5-2 Zona Crew win.

Mercado finished with a solid 4 IP | 2 ER | 4 H | 1 BB | 5 K. Joshua Quezada followed and went 1-2-3 on eight pitches in the fifth. Cesar Espinal was next going four up, three down (1 BB | 1 K) in the sixth. See who gets the seventh.

Fielder advances to third on a Frederi Montero single then scores on a wild pitch to make it 5-2. Pedro Ibarguen follows with a 104.5 MPH triple but is stranded.

Jadyn Fielder leads off the sixth with a 105.3 MPH single. Had a ground rule double and stolen bag earlier in the game.

& now Anderson goes to second on a wild pitch then comes home on a Luis Corobo double to make it a 4-2 lead.

103.5 MPH single from Jose Anderson scores Pedro to put Zona Crew back on top 3-2.

Enderson Mercado got the first two outs in the fourth inning, but an HBP-BB-1B sequence tied the game at two each before he bounced back to strike out the last batter of the frame. Pedro Ibarguen leads off the fifth with a triple.

106.6 MPH exit velo on Handelfry’s double. 105 MPH exit velo on the Corobo double play.

Nadal reached on the old fashioned strike out wild pitch combo, Walling walked, Lameda singled and a Tyler Rodriguez double scores them all for a 4-1 Carolina lead top six in a scheduled seven inning game.

Zona Crew wastes no time getting things going in the first inning with a Jose Anderson walk, Handelfry Encarnacion double and an E1 plating a pair of runs.

Third run across for the Sounds bottom six with Oliver Dunn singling, advancing to second on an EMJ groundout, and scoring on sn Anthony Seigler single.

Filippo Di Turi walk plus singles from Demetrio Nadal and Luis Lameda have tied things at one each top of four.

Freddy Zamora walked, went to second on a passed ball, then to third on an Adam Hall single before scoring the second NASH run on a Jimmy Herron sac bunt. Misio is up to 11 K vs one single over six frames with 86 pitches (59 strikes). Last pitch of the sixth was a 101 MPH fastball to strike out Dylan Beavers.

We’ve got a lineup in Arizona… Jorge Quintana SS Jose Anderson CF Handelfry Encarnacion DH Luis Corobo C Kevin Ereu 3B Jadyn Fielder 2B Frederi Montero 1B Engel Paulino RF Pedro Ibarguen LF Enderson Mercado P

Back to back strikeouts by Payne and Dinges end the Carolina rally with manager Nick Stanley getting tossed in the process.