Ro Mueller

I’d say the man did pretty well: .797 career OPS vs. lefties. Overall numbers bogged down a bit by the Brewers giving him 410 PAs against righties in 1989. OPS+ of 123, 108 and 106 in Cincinnati from 1990-92, and then was easily the best hitter in Japan for two seasons. On the surface, the trade to the Reds made sense (Brewers were a top scoring team but last in run prevention) and worked out for both teams (Robinson 12-5, 2.91 ERA after trade), but that was a defensively-challenged team (led AL in errors in 1989 and 1990). Imagine having a top offense, slightly better than league-average FIP, but going 74-88 (e.g. see 4.08 team ERA vs. league-worst 4.69 runs allowed/game) As Sheffield (25 errors in 1990 at 3B) had not yet played outfield and would likely have sulked at such a switch anyway, I think the right move was to trade the then 21-year old in mid-1990 for a massive haul (pitching, prospects).

Awesome stuff!! Thanks for the detailed interview series! Looking forward to Knarr’s continued evolution and growth in 2023. That solid 2020 draft newcomer class also included RHP Evan Reifert (doing well in Rays’ system after being dealt for Mike Brosseau).

Awesome stuff!! Thanks for the detailed interview series! Looking forward to Knarr’s continued evolution and growth in 2023. That solid 2020 draft newcomer class also included RHP Evan Reifert (doing well in Rays’ system after being dealt for Mike Brosseau).

It looks like D-Day for the team’s Wong option is tomorrow, Tuesday. I’m guessing we exercise-and-trade. Let’s see.

It looks like D-Day for the team’s Wong option is tomorrow, Tuesday. I’m guessing we exercise-and-trade. Let’s see.

Go back in the time machine and trade him to the Braves in July 2005 for some lower level prospects. Or that offseason for an even better haul. We were breaking in 22-year olds Hardy and Weeks in 2005, with Fielder to follow in 2006. With such a young roster, it was probably best to cash in on a reliever who had come out of nowhere to record 21 saves by July 25, 2005. Oh well, I’m glad Turnbow made some money.

Go back in the time machine and trade him to the Braves in July 2005 for some lower level prospects. Or that offseason for an even better haul. We were breaking in 22-year olds Hardy and Weeks in 2005, with Fielder to follow in 2006. With such a young roster, it was probably best to cash in on a reliever who had come out of nowhere to record 21 saves by July 25, 2005. Oh well, I’m glad Turnbow made some money.

Esteury Ruiz and {X} for Travis d’Arnaud? What is {X} - Matt Bush? Mike Brosseau? Cousins or Topa? Tyrone Taylor?

Esteury Ruiz and {X} for Travis d’Arnaud? What is {X} - Matt Bush? Mike Brosseau? Cousins or Topa? Tyrone Taylor?

24-year old dude threw 141 innings in AAA, then pitched ANOTHER 100 innings in MLB the same season. Man, the game has changed and will never return to those days. I think it took the fraying of pitchers like Kerry Wood and Ben Sheets for teams to really wake up.

24-year old dude threw 141 innings in AAA, then pitched ANOTHER 100 innings in MLB the same season. Man, the game has changed and will never return to those days. I think it took the fraying of pitchers like Kerry Wood and Ben Sheets for teams to really wake up.

I’d be interested in young pitchers coming off an encouraging season: Knarr, Jarvis, Castaneda, Cornielle, Rodriguez, Cruz, Robinson…

I’d be interested in young pitchers coming off an encouraging season: Knarr, Jarvis, Castaneda, Cornielle, Rodriguez, Cruz, Robinson…

Sounds like Cameron could talk about baseball non-stop for hours! Well done, Seth!

Sounds like Cameron could talk about baseball non-stop for hours! Well done, Seth!

I think Sheffield fits in well with the recent theme of general managers perhaps underestimating the ripple effect of their moves - e.g. Rodgers reacting to loss of Adams, Brewers' roster reacting to Hader trade, Sheffield reacting to trade of Dave Parker prior to 1991 season. I remember when a young Sheffield was upset that Bill Spiers played shortstop ahead of him, but in 1990 he nicely restored his full prospect value: 116 OPS+ in 547 PAs as a 21-year old. However, the team went 74-88 as they allowed the most runs in the American League and Molitor was limited to 103 games. With the club ready to move on from the 39-year old Parker (who was actually terrific in 1990, then struggled in 1991, essentially proving the Brewers' wisdom in trading him), this was actually the time (e.g. December 1990) to also trade Sheffield rather than risk him falling into a funk without his mentor Parker around. It's remarkable that the 1991 club was actually respectable, despite Sheffield doing nothing and the team's new spending (e.g. Franklin Stubbs, Edwin Nunez, raises for Ted Higuera and Chuck Crim) not panning out.

I think Sheffield fits in well with the recent theme of general managers perhaps underestimating the ripple effect of their moves - e.g. Rodgers reacting to loss of Adams, Brewers' roster reacting to Hader trade, Sheffield reacting to trade of Dave Parker prior to 1991 season. I remember when a young Sheffield was upset that Bill Spiers played shortstop ahead of him, but in 1990 he nicely restored his full prospect value: 116 OPS+ in 547 PAs as a 21-year old. However, the team went 74-88 as they allowed the most runs in the American League and Molitor was limited to 103 games. With the club ready to move on from the 39-year old Parker (who was actually terrific in 1990, then struggled in 1991, essentially proving the Brewers' wisdom in trading him), this was actually the time (e.g. December 1990) to also trade Sheffield rather than risk him falling into a funk without his mentor Parker around. It's remarkable that the 1991 club was actually respectable, despite Sheffield doing nothing and the team's new spending (e.g. Franklin Stubbs, Edwin Nunez, raises for Ted Higuera and Chuck Crim) not panning out.

I suspect that Brent Suter is essentially our Marcedes Lewis, so we’ll re-sign him for more than most analysts would expect.

I suspect that Brent Suter is essentially our Marcedes Lewis, so we’ll re-sign him for more than most analysts would expect.

They’ll make up for it next year with Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, etc. It’s something of a mystery to me why the Brewers gave Alexander four starts down the stretch (losing all 4 games). I understood giving Alexander a try in June when he was cruising in AAA, essentially in a coin flip with Lindblom at that time. But the lead-up to the August 30th - September 18th starts was in Lindblom’s favor, who’d discarded some attempted pitching tweaks and was solid from August 11th onward. Refusing to shake anything up on the MLB side felt like part of the front office and coaching staff’s lazy approach to a disappointing season…

They’ll make up for it next year with Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, etc. It’s something of a mystery to me why the Brewers gave Alexander four starts down the stretch (losing all 4 games). I understood giving Alexander a try in June when he was cruising in AAA, essentially in a coin flip with Lindblom at that time. But the lead-up to the August 30th - September 18th starts was in Lindblom’s favor, who’d discarded some attempted pitching tweaks and was solid from August 11th onward. Refusing to shake anything up on the MLB side felt like part of the front office and coaching staff’s lazy approach to a disappointing season…

I'm seeing a 2.85 ERA and .605 OPS against in 41 IP through August 4th, then a 5.32 ERA and .817 OPS against in 23 2/3 IP the rest of the way. But his average number of pitches to hitters was the same in each period (4.00), his strike % was actually higher in the latter part (62% rising to 64%), his strikeouts/batter was also higher in that latter period (21.9% rising to 26.2%), though walks ticked up slightly (5.3% rising to 5.8%) and homers allowed rose materially (0.6% rising to 3.9%). To me, the data suggests that more balls landed safely (.296 BABIP rising to .349) and more balls left the yard (1 in the first 41 IP; 4 in the last 23 2/3 IP). Honestly, the .349 BABIP seems unfairly high in the dismal part of the year, while the 0.6% HR ratio in the successful part of the season seems too low. I'd expect Milner to still be a solid contributor next season, although we need to sign a top lefty reliever to replace Hader/Rogers. Overall, our RHP numbers were better than our LHP numbers in 2022, which I place at the feet of Mr. Stearns for only signing Rex Brothers in the off-season then whiffing on Taylor Rogers.

I'm seeing a 2.85 ERA and .605 OPS against in 41 IP through August 4th, then a 5.32 ERA and .817 OPS against in 23 2/3 IP the rest of the way. But his average number of pitches to hitters was the same in each period (4.00), his strike % was actually higher in the latter part (62% rising to 64%), his strikeouts/batter was also higher in that latter period (21.9% rising to 26.2%), though walks ticked up slightly (5.3% rising to 5.8%) and homers allowed rose materially (0.6% rising to 3.9%). To me, the data suggests that more balls landed safely (.296 BABIP rising to .349) and more balls left the yard (1 in the first 41 IP; 4 in the last 23 2/3 IP). Honestly, the .349 BABIP seems unfairly high in the dismal part of the year, while the 0.6% HR ratio in the successful part of the season seems too low. I'd expect Milner to still be a solid contributor next season, although we need to sign a top lefty reliever to replace Hader/Rogers. Overall, our RHP numbers were better than our LHP numbers in 2022, which I place at the feet of Mr. Stearns for only signing Rex Brothers in the off-season then whiffing on Taylor Rogers.

Garrett Mitchell takes home the Brewer Fanatic Rookie of the Year prize, producing an .832 OPS down the stretch while playing terrific center field defense. In also swiping eight bases without being caught, Mitchell heralds an exciting new brand of baseball in Milwaukee. Making his major league debut on August 27th, Garrett Mitchell exceeded all expectations at the plate and didn’t disappoint in center field either, blazing by other candidates to capture Brewer Fanatic's first Rookie of the Year award. Major League Stats: .311 AVG / .373 OBP / .459 SLG in 68 PAs, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 Runs, 8 SB (vs. 0 CS). As the team tried to secure the last National League playoff spot, the only teammates to exceed Mitchell’s .832 OPS over the season’s final 40 days were INF Kolten Wong (.939), INF Luis Urias (.922) and OF Tyrone Taylor (.881). Garrett’s first dinger in the majors was a game-tying 2-run shot in an August 29th victory against the Pirates and he delivered his first walk-off hit on September 16th against the Yankees. In all, Mr. Mitchell saw action in 28 games, including 19 starts, with all 176 1/3 of his innings logged in center field. He committed just one error, had one assist and sprinkled in some highlight reel catches. Although he wasn’t necessarily the young outfielder many fans expected the Brewers to promote for the stretch run, the 24-year-old Mitchell clearly rates as the top defensive center fielder in the system, giving him the edge to secure an early promotion which he took full advantage of. The exciting finale to Mitchell's season was even more remarkable considering a relatively slow start at AA Biloxi (.676 over his first 30 games), followed by missing 54 days due to injury. However, Mitchell was a man on a mission after his return: .934 OPS in 34 games at Biloxi and AAA Nashville, with 10 stolen bases (vs. 0 caught stealing). Of course, there’s still some work to be done at the plate (e.g. 28 Ks in 68 MLB PAs), but fans should expect the hard-working, always hard-charging 20th overall pick out of UCLA in the 2020 draft to be a fixture in center field at American Family Field for many years to come. Runner-Up: Peter Strzelecki, RHP Major League Stats (30 G): 2-1 record, 2.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 40 K, 15 BB, 35 IP, 1 Save Called up to the majors on June 2nd, Peter Strzelecki debuted the same day, ultimately becoming one of the most reliable arms in an otherwise-struggling bullpen. In fact, he appeared in 28 games over the season’s final 52 days, delivering a 2.63 ERA and .200 batting average against in 24 innings over that final stretch. After the June debut, the Brewers optioned Peter back to the minors on three separate occasions, but they recalled him to MLB for good on August 13. Given his stellar contributions, several voters selected Strzelecki as their winner, but perhaps two blown saves and a purely relief role left him second to Mitchell overall at the ballot box. The 27-year-old Strzelecki joined the Brewers’ organization as an undrafted free agent out of the University of South Florida in 2018, producing solid results at Low-A Wisconsin in 2019 (3.22 ERA) and AA Biloxi in 2021 (3.45 ERA), then was even better in AAA Nashville this year (4-0 record, 2.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 14.2 K/9). The question for 2023 will be whether Mr. Strzelecki can maintain this level of excellence. Certainly, the .295 BABIP (vs. .281 team average) indicates that he wasn’t living off undue luck, although the 1.4% HR rate (vs. 3.1% team average) may be difficult to duplicate. Second Runner-Up: Jason Alexander, RHP Major League Stats (18 G): 2-3 record, 5.40 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 46 K, 28 BB, 71 2/3 IP After losing Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff to injury in late May, Jason Alexander debuted on June 1st and provided just what the doctor ordered over his first five starts: 2-0 record, 3.21 ERA in 28 innings. However, with Woodruff re-activated on June 28th, Alexander was shifted to long relief with various spot starts, which didn’t go quite as well for the 29-year-old: 0-3 record, 6.80 ERA in 43 2/3 innings. Alexander had originally gone undrafted out of Cal State University Long Beach in 2017, spending three seasons with the Angels before being a Covid roster cut in June 2020, then spending an injury-filled 2021 in the Marlins’ organization before latching on with the Brewers as a free agent in November 2021. In 2022, Mr. Alexander immediately impressed at AAA Nashville by going 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA over his first nine starts, thus earning the early season call-up. He’s a ground ball pitcher, producing a 1.67 ground-out to air-out ratio with the Brewers and similar 1.71 ratio with Nashville. Other Major League debuts in 2022: LHP Ethan Small – May 30 – 6 1/3 IP* RHP Luke Barker (now a free agent) – June 3 – 4 IP* Other 2022 Brewers who qualified as Rookies: OF Esteury Ruiz - 9 PAs* C Mario Feliciano - 5 PAs* INF/OF Mark Mathias (now with Texas) - 17 PAs RHP Trevor Kelley - 23 2/3 IP RHP Justin Topa - 7 1/3 IP* * Players marked with an asterisk will still qualify as Rookies in 2023, including OF Garrett Mitchell (award winner), which is based on 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days' major league service time being surpassed What did you think of the contributions of Mitchell, Strzelecki, Alexander, and other rookies? Do you agree with the voters’ selection? Your comments are welcome! 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