John Egan

Back in April, we looked at Milwaukee’s third base position, two weeks into the season. Since then, we have had a Caleb Durbin call-up, an Oliver Dunn demotion and (finally) Vinny Capra designated for assignment. The long national nightmare is over. It’s nothing against Capra, personally. No one is actively hoping a player isn’t good on their team. I’m glad he got his shot on a major-league club. It took him seven years to get a real shot in the majors, and it just didn’t work. You can’t have someone on a big-league roster who is hitting .074 with an OPS of .251. I didn’t even get to start on the JV baseball team in high school with those numbers—and those were definitely my stats. We’ve been told by the front office that this team should be competitive this year, and you just can’t have players like that on a competitive team. Is there a glimmer of hope on the horizon? Will a prospect matriculate to the big leagues soon? Is a trade almost guaranteed? Let’s break down the Crew’s current third-base situation. Caleb Durbin Durbin made his major-league debut on April 16. He went 2-4, and scored a run. Durbin now has 22 games under his belt and 69 at-bats. The stats are not spectacular, but trending in the right direction. He's hitting .203, with an OPS of .581, one home run, 12 RBIs and four walks. That he's succumbed to only four strikeouts is impressive, as well. It’s not all on Durbin, but this kind of encapsulates the current issue with the Brewers. Their offense is boring, and doesn’t have enough power. That strategy is fine, if you are winning more games than you're losing, but the Brewers are now 20-21. They haven’t swept a series yet, and are sometimes losing to bad teams. It’s baseball; everyone will lose to bad teams. Losing to bad teams needs to happen less, though, and they need to win a few more series against possible playoff contenders. They need Durbin to be more of a power hitter, to justify his position. Will he ever be a power hitter? Probably not. He will have to get his OPS up somehow, though. Don’t expect Durbin to go anywhere. Pat Murphy said after he was called up that he “will be the Brewers’ regular third baseman for the foreseeable future” and even nicknamed him “Happy”. The hope is that he will continue to improve over his first full season in the majors. Andruw Monasterio With Capra becoming jetsam, an old face has returned to the Brewers. The 27-year-old Venezuelan had a decent year in 2023 for Milwaukee. He hit .259, with an OPS of .678, three home runs and 27 RBIs over 92 games. He provided infield depth and took over the third-base position for the stretch run, before the team acquired Joey Ortiz prior to the start of 2024. Last year was a little different. Over 59 games, he hit .208, with a .575 OPS, one home run, 16 RBIs and 40 strikeouts over 125 at-bats. Your platoon infielders shouldn’t be striking out a third of the time. Monasterio had a pretty rough start in Nashville this season, but recovered a bit before being called up again. He was hitting .250 with a .757 OPS, four home runs, 11 RBIs and 16 walks. Monasterio has entered one game this season and hasn’t had any major league at-bats yet. I assume he will get some looks this week. The hope is that he can at least match Durbin’s current stats, or provide another option if Ortiz continues to struggle. There is a good chance you could see Durbin at second, Brice Turang at shortstop and Monasterio or another infielder at third instead, and soon. Joey Ortiz Ortiz is technically Milwaukee’s starting shortstop, but I need to mention him because he’s an option at third base. His defense has been good, minus his four errors. All else equal, you could live with his glovework at short. The big issue right now is his bat. Ortiz is batting .176, with an OPS of .461. He didn’t have his first home run until this past weekend, and it was a ball that would only have been gone in the emergency replacement park the Rays are calling home this year—usually a minor-league facility. He only has six RBIs and nine walks, against 23 strikeouts. Again, this shows the current glaring issue for the Brewers. The team is inconsistent, and lacks pop. They are leading the league in steals at 51, which is good—but the rest of the news is not. Milwaukee is 23rd in batting average, 21st in home runs, 28th in slugging percentage, 17th in on-base percentage and 13th in runs scored. It’s good they are in the top half in runs scored, but the rest is very unappealing. Again, if they were winning more games, it’s fine. But a competitive team needs power hitting alongside the singles, bunts and steals. Bottom third in average and home runs isn’t going to get it done. And with players like Ortiz and Durbin contributing to that, there will need to be an upgrade to that unit soon. Other Internal Options If the team expects help coming from the farm system, I wouldn’t hold your breath. I’ve seen a lot of people asking for Tyler Black. Well, he is on the injured list right now. He hasn't been defensively passable at first base, let alone third, at any time since the start of 2023. He's also yet to demonstrate that he can hit big-league pitching. I don’t want to write him off yet, but it’s possible he won’t reach the levels that folks once thought he would attain. I would love to be wrong, though. Brock Wilken is smashing the ball right now in Biloxi, but I assume they would like him to get some Triple-A reps before considering him for the majors. Expect a promotion from him any day now. His stats this year have been great. The first-rounder from 2023 is only a year or two away from competing for that third base spot, and is expected to be a corner infielder of the future. It's good, at least, that he's gotten back to this level, after a beaning last year derailed him for the balance of that campaign. Another wild card for third base could be the newly acquired Bobby Dalbec. Milwaukee signed him to a minor-league contract over the weekend, and currently has him stashed in Nashville. He was cut by the White Sox on May 6, after spending five seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Dalbec has mostly played first base over his career (274 games there), but also has some third base experience with 56 games. The only issue is that he’s basically like every other Brewer right now. His career batting average is .222, his career OPS is .712, and he doesn’t hit for power. The Seattle native is technically another option, but wouldn’t be a true upgrade, either. That’s the thing about baseball, though. The right player at the right time for a team can suddenly start hitting. External Options I’ll make this short and sweet: There will have to be a trade soon if things don’t improve. Yes, a lot of the issues are the top of the order also underperforming. It’s also a team sport. Even so, you can’t have your 6-9 hitters getting one total hit every night. It’s leading to unnecessary losses and sloppy play. Milwaukee called up Durbin and their other veteran infielder. They don’t have a lot of options in Nashville. A trade seems inevitable, whether it’s in a few weeks or before the trade deadline. The question is, will they be able to catch lightning in a bottle again, as they did with the Willy Adames trade? Those situations don’t happen too often. This Brewers team needs something to happen, though.

This year, I will be breaking down the evolution of Milwaukee’s third base position. It could be once a month, it could be every few weeks. In my opinion, it’s going to be the most focused on position by fans to see who ends up solidifying that spot. Last year, Sal Frelick got some looks at third base and we weren’t sure if there would be competition over at third between the newly-acquired Joey Ortiz or Andruw Monasterio. After some injuries in the outfield and with Frelick out of the question, Ortiz took the reigns pretty quickly due to his fast start swinging the bat and his amazing defense. He ended his first full year in the majors by hitting .239 with an OPS of .727, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 103 strikeouts over 142 games. A decent rookie season, but didn’t end on the highest note after going 0-10 in the 2024 playoff series. Now, Ortiz is over at shortstop and will not be going anywhere unless there is a trade or injury. That means the team needs a new everyday third baseman. So, how has the position been lately? Let’s break it down. Disclaimer: All of the information in this article is accurate as of the afternoon of April 11th, 2025. Oliver Dunn When Opening Day arrived, we knew that Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra would be splitting duties at third base to start out. Dunn would take on right-handed pitching and Capra would start against lefties. That is why Capra started on Opening Day. Now, keep in mind, we aren’t even at 30 or 50 at-bats yet for these guys. It’s a small sample size, but not the most ideal start from either side of the plate. Over 26 at-bats, Dunn has a .454 OPS, .192 batting average, five RBIs and zero home runs. He also had a costly error in the Cincinnati Reds series. Starting 0-10 on the year didn’t help. His strikeout percentage at the plate is also sitting at almost 30 percent (28.6% to be exact), with literally zero walks to his name. There is still time, but we will need to see a little bit more out of Dunn if he wants to stay up. He had a great spring, which lead to him getting a chance at the corner spot. He also has two more options, which means there is a very good chance those will be used if things don’t turn around by May. For what it's worth, though, Dunn is riding a four-game hitting streak; perhaps he's starting to figure things out? Vinny Capra The left-handed pitching platoon third baseman hasn’t faired much better since March 27th. Unlike Dunn, the 28-year-old Florida native is out of options. If he can’t start swinging the bat, I could see a DFA by May. After a powerful spring and a home run on Opening Day, Vinny’s bat has gone cold. Over 24 at-bats, only two less than Dunn, he has a .375 OPS, .125 batting average, three RBIs and the one homer. No stolen bases, no walks and a 24% strikeout rate. It’s obviously not easy for these guys to platoon, but you can’t strike out 25-30% of the time on a competitive baseball team, especially when you’re not hitting dingers or bringing in runs. Capra will need a few big games soon to be able to stay on this team. I feel like I see everyone rag on Dunn, but his counterpart isn't doing anything special either. Other Internal Options There is a very good chance the two platoon players on the Brewers that started on third base will both no longer be on the team or in the majors by the end of the season. Milwaukee has a few more options to look at before they start looking for trade partners. Caleb Durbin’s call up isn’t really an “if” but a “when”. I wasn’t really against him being sent down and getting everyday at-bats instead of platooning. It seems to be working out so far. And even though it’s Triple-A, he is playing a lot better than Dunn and Capra right now. Since joining Nashville, Durbin has a .754 OPS, .256 batting average, three RBIs and two home runs. He has two walks, one stolen base and only a nine percent strikeout rate. There is a reason they traded for him, and it wasn’t to leave him in the minors. I would guess Memorial Day would be the latest he makes his debut. Andruw Monasterio could also make a return this year as well. The only real issue is that he is basically a carbon copy of Dunn and Capra. His career OPS is .646. Last year with the Brewers, he had a .575 OPS, .208 batting average, one home run, 16 RBIs and six stolen bases over 125 at-bats. He’s only played in ten games this year for Nashville. He has a .377 OPS, .150 batting average, three walks and 13 strikeouts. I highly doubt they will bring him up unless they need him. I know they want a platoon, but Durbin looks like future right now, and the best hope is that he can take over the position once he is up. You might see Dunn and Durbin up together, or perhaps even Tyler Black again to try at first and third. External Options The best bet is that they will let the Dunn and Capra experiment go until the end of April. After that, Caleb Durbin will be up. I think Dunn stays as well. They still might want a righty and lefty option, but beggars can't be choosers. If Durbin struggles and Joey Ortiz continues to hit below average, the Brewers will definitely make some sort of trade. After watching what a player like Ryan McMahon can do in Colorado, fans definitely left that series wanting more. And if they do make a trade, I could see it being a shortstop or third baseman. And as much as you'd hope it’s only prospects that you would need to give up, the Brewers have an abundance of outfielders—and that’s with Blake Perkins on the injured list. Milwaukee needs someone on the left side of the infield to get on base and drive in runs. They might need to give away an outfielder to do it, too. You will not go far into the playoffs with hitting like this at the hot corner. There is plenty of season left and some of these guys might start to play well or surprise everyone. But the Brewers are already in a division battle, and can’t risk losing a series here and there because we wanted to be really, really patient with our third base experiment. Get someone up or on the team that can hit the ball. The team hasn’t had an impact player at third since 2019. After Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas, Brewers fans have seen Eric Sogard (2020), Luis Urias (2021), Jace Peterson (2022) and Brian Anderson (2023) at the hot corner. This team needs a solid corner infielder, and the fans deserve one too. It's time for Milwaukee to invest in one or find one. Feel free to send me your thoughts and predictions as well. I assume this position will have lots of changes and upgrades throughout the 2025 season.

I found myself watching “Just A Bit Outside” at a weird and random time, because I have been consumed by the 1982 season as of late. I’m halfway through two Brewers books right now: Bob Uecker’s “Catcher In the Wry” and “Where Have you Gone, '82 Brewers?”, written by former Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt. Uecker’s book was, oddly enough, released in 1982. Pretty crazy to think about how much has happened since he wrote it, and that the book came out the same season the Crew went to the World Series and had one of their best seasons ever. Haudicourt’s book is a perfect companion to the new film about that legendary team, out this week. It was released in 2007, 25 years after the magical year. Each chapter is a spotlight of one of the players. You hear their perspective on the season, their favorite moments and great behind-the-scenes stories and information. As people will learn from the movie, the Brewers were fueled by several things: their love of the game, their friendships, and alcohol. I would highly recommend reading it before or after watching “Just A Bit Outside”, if you can find a copy. I randomly found mine in a Door County bookstore, with a whopping $30 price tag. It was worth every penny, and so is the movie. “Just A Bit Outside” Movie Experience I was lucky enough to get an invite to the virtual premiere of the movie. Director Sean Hanish was there to introduce the film and had a Q&A session afterward. Hanish and producer Kelly Kahl are the main reasons this passion project came together. The film is beautifully done. I am one of the biggest Brewers fans around. A lot of folks probably don’t know this, but I’m also a huge movie buff. So it’s probably hard to be a fair, balanced reviewer or critic when the subject matter and the medium are both entities I absolutely adore. As a Brewers fan, I really liked this movie. As a movie fan, I really, really liked this movie. It’s the kind of movie where everything is done so right that most people won’t even notice all the little things, and that’s a good thing. The editing is perfect, up there with any Oscar-nominated documentary that you will find. Several creative parts are the star of the show. There is an entire nickname segment for the 1982 players and what everyone called each other. You will probably walk out saying it was your favorite part--like I did. It’s perfectly done, and the graphics that enhance it are a perfect fit. As you follow the team through the season, the schedule calendar is a great visual companion. It’s crazy how many games that team won in August, and how they turned that season around after a managerial switch. There are plenty of fans who know a lot about the season or witnessed it, but this takes it to the next level. Hanish and Kahl had almost 45 hours of interviews and 100 hours of game and season footage to go through for this. That is no easy task, but it is a huge benefit to the movie. I'm very happy MLB did the right thing and helped them get as much as they could. And yes, that means there is lots of good stuff that had to hit the cutting-room floor, that could be released down the line. Honestly, they should start a YouTube or Instagram account right now and post one clip a week. I would never get bored hearing stories from this group about their era. If you’re worried about the big names not being in the documentary or included, don’t be. Everyone who could be is there. Bug Selig, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers, Bob Uecker, Pete Vuckovich, Gorman Thomas (who also helped produce the film), Ted Simmons, Cecil Cooper and many others show up. Almost no stone was unturned for this production, and it really adds to the movie. The doc’s soundtrack doesn’t skip a beat. The music department searched out local Milwaukee bands from the '70s and '80s, and you will start to notice throughout the movie some recognizable tunes and Brewers-themed songs. It’s a great touch--an additional love letter to the state of Wisconsin. There was a lot of good info I had forgotten about or didn’t know. Like the fact that the Brewers were leading 3-2 before heading back to Milwaukee for the final two World Series games. I had forgotten how solid a player Charlie Moore was. There was also a certain young “Kid” who dumped a beer over Bud Selig’s head after they won the pennant. That same player is the first one to cry in the documentary. The 1982 Brewers = The 2024 Brewers? As soon as they started talking about Harvey Kuenn taking over as the Brewers manager, my mind went to one thing: He reminds me so much of Pat Murphy. They seem to have the same type of personality. No-nonsense, believes in his guys and will crack a dry joke when you least expect it. From that moment on, I couldn’t help but compare that season to this one. It’s a tall order and there are high expectations, but it's not impossible this year. A seasoned veteran coach who gets his shot to manage a team. A bunch of young players who are smashing the ball. Acquiring some veteran pitchers at the trade deadline to help with pitching. And they’re all having fun together while doing it. Yes, the team’s circumstances were different. Those Brewers were finally expected to compete after making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1981. They went 62-47 (strike year) and lost in the ALDS. This year’s Brewers were not. Let’s rephrase that. Lots of league experts and bloggers thought they wouldn’t. The expectations for Murphy were pretty low. Do the best you can with this Brewers team, while possibly getting Rickie Weeks ready to manage the team in a few years as the young players grow. That’s exactly what he’s done, just like Kuenn did. And now Murphy is a frontrunner for NL Manager of the Year. Instead of a tense, pressure-filled clubhouse with the previous manager, it became fun and loose. They don’t go on long losing streaks. Both teams are consistent and seen as the underdog, even when they are winning. The vibes are the same. This year’s team has a little less power and run support at times, but they certainly look the same when they hit the ball. Watching Yount and Molitor hit the ball over and over into the outfield reminded me a lot of the current squad. They are always finding ways to win. If anything, “Just A Bit Outside" should get you hyped for the rest of this season. The team deserves a World Series. The fans deserve one. Bob Uecker deserves to see a deep title run. And especially the 1982 team, who clearly want that closure and victory they were so close to getting. Support This Movie When it comes down to it, the best thing Brewers fans can do is support this movie. The filmmakers worked hard and were able to partner and release with Marcus Theatres, which is a big deal for an independent movie. That’s right, this is a locally-made, independent movie. These types of films need your support. If you are sitting at home complaining about too many sequels, remakes, superhero movies, etc, this is your chance to help change that. Some shows are already sold out, but making sure you fill the seats for “Just A Bit Outside” helps a lot. It could lead to additional footage being released. There could be a Blu-ray release down the line. They might be able to afford a sequel when the Brewers actually win the World Series. Supporting a labor of love is always the right call. Right now, the movie is mostly in Marcus Theatres and in Wisconsin. But if the movie does well, it could easily expand to other markets. And if you can’t make it to the Badger State to support, nothing is stopping you from buying a few matinee tickets even if you can’t go to show your support in person. It’s well worth your time and money. It’s required watching if you are a Brewers fan. And if anything, a great shot in the arm to be excited for the rest of this Brewers season. Milwaukee is basically guaranteed to make the playoffs and win the NL Central. All you have to do is get in and you have a chance. Times have changed, but not what baseball is and what it’s about. One thing I think gets lost sometimes is the passion Milwaukee Brewers fans and the city have for this team. Because that hasn’t changed either. You’ll be just a bit outside of being cool if you don’t see this movie. See what I did there?

I have to admit, I’ve been a Negative Nelly the past week or so. The lack of splashes at the trade deadline (combined with two series losses) had me annoyed. The trade deadline is one of my favorite times of the season. I know they kept saying they were probably just adding a veteran starter, but I also thought this might be the year the team got a surprising, big-name trade target. It did not come to pass. My recent podcast episode was also pretty negative to start. We know the team is good and should be fine, with lots of potential. It's also fine to feel frustrated with your favorite team from time to time, and not a bad thing to have multiple emotions during a season. This team has shown that they can adapt and step up. This isn’t the same Milwaukee Brewers, and you can add "adapt" to the identity list. The new Crew love to bunt, run, fight and now adapt. With 48 games to go, Milwaukee still has a healthy lead in the division, a top-five record in the National League, and is a lot of fun to watch (usually). Is Jackson Chourio’s Contract Already Worth It? Short answer: Probably. His first few months definitely showed he was a rookie. Some defensive decisions need to get better. But since the start of June, the 20-year-old outfielder is now a must-start player. It's been a Jackson Summer for quite a while now. If Paul Skenes hadn’t been so good right from the jump, Chourio would easily win NL Rookie of the Year. But it’s hard to compete with a guy who has been lights-out since his debut and has a legitimate shot to win the NL Cy Young Award, too. The Pirates might finally have something cooking, unless they act like the Pirates again and Skenes is a New York Yankee in three years. You could argue that Chourio’s first year at his contract's annual average value of $10M is already covered. Let’s take a look at some other outfielders who make around the same as him. Now technically, he is only making $2.25 million this season, but it's still $10.25 million against the luxury-tax number (admittedly, not a huge consideration for the Crew), so we will stay around $10 million. Harrison Bader and Kevin Kiermaier are making $10.5 million this year. Jason Heyward is making $9 million. Alex Verdugo is making $8.7 million, and Randy Arozarena is making $8.1 million. We can even throw in Brewers legend Hunter Renfroe, who is making $13 million. Chourio is hitting .277, has an OPS of .763, and has amassed 14 home runs and 50 RBIs. He also has 15 stolen bases already. He's tied for 25th in home runs for outfielders in MLB. Bader: .271, .719, 8 HR, 41 RBI Kiermaier: .188, .532, 4 HR, 18 RBI Heyward: .209, .683, 5 HR, 24 RBI Verdugo: .235, .665, 10 HR, 50 RBI Arozarena: .220, .731, 16 HR, 39 RBI Renfroe: .236, .712, 11 HR, 44 RBI Chourio seems to only be trending upward, and could be one of the best signings the Brewers have ever done. And making history already in his rookie season. Colin Rea is An Ace There need to be college classes and advanced studies done on Colin Rea and what he is doing during the 2024 season. Last year, he was a serviceable fourth or fifth starter with the Brewers. This year, he has turned into their ace. Rea currently has a 10-3 record with a 3.38 ERA over 22 games. Freddy Peralta will probably remain Milwaukee’s number-one starter, but there is no question that Rea is pitching better and more consistently. His career ERA is 4.33, so basically, he took an entire run off his average this season--so far, anyway. All I’m saying is that Colin Rea wouldn’t have given up those runs for the National League in the All-Star Game. Rea’s season has been more than impressive. His start against the Braves this week was nothing short of magical. He went seven innings with five hits, zero earned runs and nine, yes nine, punchouts. When you have accounts like Talkin’ Baseball and Pitching Ninja talking about you, you know you’re playing well. And in a year where the Brewers absolutely needed a guy like him: No Corbin Burnes, no Brandon Woodruff and Peralta having a very inconsistent season. The team needed a pitcher to step up, and Rea did just that. With practically an entire pitching staff still on the injured list, Brewers fans should appreciate what we are seeing this year from the Iowa native. Six-Man Rotation Incoming? As of right now (Thursday afternoon), the Brewers have TBD as their starting pitcher for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. Milwaukee beat writer Curt Hogg posted something that would make a lot of sense. Jeff Levering also mentioned on several broadcasts that the team might switch to a six-man rotation soon. With DL Hall coming back, don’t be surprised to see that happen. So you’ll have Peralta, Rea, Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, Frankie Montas and Hall. It gives your starters some extra rest as we approach the last month of the season, and will determine who can help the Brewers win some playoff games. I swear I am not trying to jinx anything. It’s just that, statistically speaking, Milwaukee has a 99% chance of making the playoffs right now. It would have to be a collapse of epic proportions, and that's not in this team’s DNA. You could easily see a playoff rotation of Rea, Peralta, Myers and Montas, with Civale and Hall ready for long relief if needed, especially the first series. Players are getting healthy and the offense seems to be waking up at the right time. So for now, the focus is staying healthy and winning the NL Central. Oh, and also winning more than 76 games, so I can cash one of my bets. Having a run differential of +101 doesn't hurt either. Be good people, and Go Brewers!

Let’s start with one of the most random things to happen this week for the Brewers. Someone on Facebook kind of called Milwaukee getting Dallas Keuchel. On Sunday afternoon, there was a post in a Brewers Facebook group (the 7th circle of Hell, in most cases) saying that the Brewers should go get Keuchel from the Mariners. The only issue? His idea of who the Crew would send back to the Mariners. It was a great call, but the overall trade proposal was hilariously bad. In that way, it was a perfect encapsulation of sports fandom on Facebook. Instead of their starting shortstop and an impending $150-million man, Keuchel cost the Brewers cash considerations. As much as people give Adames a hard time for his cold streaks, he always produces. Does he lead all National League shortstops in RBIs since he’s joined the Brewers? Of course he does. Adames is the lifeforce that keeps this team together. And as much as it will stink that the team will lose him to free agency, it’s also ok to enjoy the time that we have with a special player. He's not going anywhere. But back to Keuchel. He was able to be traded, join the team, meet with the media and then start the Wednesday day game against the Texas Rangers. It definitely wasn’t anything pretty, but it was a solid starting point for him with the team. He went four innings with eight hits, one walk and five earned runs. He did have five strikeouts, and even a shutdown first inning. It was not a great start, but the Brewers need starting pitchers, and beggars can’t be choosers. He isn’t in his prime, but Keuchel has 264 MLB games under his belt, with a 103-92 record, 1,243 strikeouts and a career ERA of 4.02. Basically, think of him as this year’s Julio Teherán. He doesn’t have to be perfect; he just needs to improve a little bit. Being a fifth or sixth starter should come with normal expectations. Robert Gasser and Joe Ross both hit the 60-day injured list. Jakob Junis is back, but right now only doing long relief. Freddy Peralta (thankfully) is getting past his string of bad starts, and Colin Rea is bae, lending the team a bit of stability. There is plenty of time before the trade deadline to grab an arm or two, and that’s what makes this next month so great: an All-Star Game followed by three weeks of trade rumors and fun in the middle of summer. But the starting rotation does need to be upgraded. I am sure the front office is well aware that a rotation of Peralta, Rea, Tobias Myers, Bryse Wilson and Keuchel would probably lead to another early playoff exit. We’ve had enough of those, right? Highlights From Rangers Series It was a busy week for the Brewers. Trading for Keuchel was a huge part of it, but let’s not forget the other great things that happened. Christian Yelich stole his 200th base. This comes weeks after hitting his 200th home run. What a season he is having. He’s probably going to be an All-Star once again, and I love every second of it. Seeing Yelich back at this level, after having to deal with fans hating on him, demanding a trade or DFA, and even witnessing fans yell threatening words at him, makes me very happy. Those two-and-a-half seasons must have been torture for him. When Christian Yelich is good, the Milwaukee Brewers are usually good, too. Jackson Chourio now has two Little-League home runs in eight days. Only one of them counted as an inside-the-park homer, but what an amazing feat for him. Over his last 20 games, Chourio is hitting .312, has an OPS of .866, and is hitting the ball really hard. It’s almost like we needed to give a 20-year-old rookie more than two months in the big leagues to start figuring it out. I would like to thank Cubs fans for going so hard after him that he magically started to improve, while they have gone 13-27 since May 13. The Brewers have also had three grand slams in five days. Are they still struggling a lot with runners on base or in scoring position? Yes, and it still needs to be worked on. But they are getting lots of men on base, which is a very good thing. Milwaukee fans have been so used to a below-average offense and an elite pitching squad that it truly is jarring sometimes that it’s now the opposite, just one season later. When some players dip, others pick up and help the offense. Have you noticed that Rhys Hoskins and Sal Frelick are heating up? Well, you should. The Injury Bug Striking Again? The only huge concern right now for the team is how many more injures they can sustain until something breaks. It seems like William Contreras is still not 100% after taking that hit last Sunday. He had some solid moments during the Rangers series, but is still batting only .154 the past seven games. Hopefully, a monster Cubs series will change that. Garrett Mitchell might have suffered another setback in Nashville yesterday. He left the game after grabbing his left hamstring. A few folks mentioned that his diabetes might be the reason he can’t stay healthy. I was a little offended by those comments, but then actually did some research and indeed, it's a thing that can happen. It does take a little longer to heal from injuries. Mitchell has had a string of bad-luck injuries, and I really hope he can re-join the team this year, sooner rather than later. Joey Ortiz also left the game with a stiff neck yesterday. Pat Murphy said he’s been dealing with it since the Angels series and that it shouldn’t be anything serious. He also took quite a hit against the tarp on the third-base line yesterday. The only good thing to come of it? Andruw Monasterio replaced him and ended up bringing in the winning run in the 10th inning on Wednesday afternoon. It was quite a moment for him and something I am sure he needed as well after a very slow start to 2024. And now it’s time to keep the momentum going. Craig Counsell and his struggling Cubs return to Milwaukee again, and the Brewers need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Their offensive output is helping their average rotation, and it’s been a blast to watch baseball this year. Another sweep would be perfect. Be good people, and Go Brewers!

Let’s start off with the most important thing to do right now: help the Milwaukee Brewers have multiple All-Stars this year. Is it that big of a deal? No. But after a few years of basically only pitchers representing the Brewers, it would be such a fitting reward to this team that everyone doubted. Experts had them barely winning 75 games this year, and they might hit that number before the end of August. You can vote five times day (per e-mail address) and can still click those boxes and hope they don’t send you spam e-mail or texts. Voting ends on Jun. 27, so make sure you and anyone else you know is voting every day. Multiple Brewers are either leading or in the running to be All-Star starters this year. How it works is that after the 27th, the top three players at each position move on to the second round of voting. Fans will have until Jul. 3 to vote for those players. After the top players are selected, the rest of the roster is filled in by the players and the MLB front office. Right now, there is a chance that the Brewers could have three to four starters for the All-Star Game. William Contreras is the top catcher at the moment, and Christian Yelich is second overall for all outfielders. Joey Ortiz is third in voting for third base. Willy Adames is fifth. We have to keep up the momentum. Brice Turang should definitely end up in the top five. Rhys Hoskins and the rest of the outfielders will probably have a higher mountain to climb, but it’s possible if you vote! And what about the pitchers? We won’t know until they release the rosters. If Bryan Hudson doesn’t end up an All-Star, an investigation should be launched. There is also a chance Trevor Megill gets in, but he did have an injury and it's hard to compete with some other bigger-named closers out there. After years of Brewers starters being a shoo-in for the All-Star game, there probably won’t be one this season. It’s a broken record that the team needs some starting pitching help, and probably another good reliever. So go out and vote! The possibility of Christian Yelich being an All-Star once again warms my heart to no end. Angels In The Brewers Outfield Was it fun to stay up later than usual, watching three pretty frustrating but fun baseball games? Kind of. The Brewers won the series, and that is all that matters. This team keeps stringing wins together, and sit at a very comfortable seven to eight games on top of the NL Central right now. It’s hard to argue with results. The sloppy play on Monday is what really did them in. This team’s defense is so good that when they have an off night, it jumps out at you more than it usually would. Brewers couldn’t make the plays when needed, and the Angels did. That’s why they play 162 games. A Tuesday bounce-back win was just what they needed. Yelich’s 200th home run to start the game didn’t hurt. Jackson Chourio had a heck of a game, too, including an inside-the-park home run that was technically a double with an error. It was definitely a one-sided game, even though the scoreboard read 6-3. What a grab by Sal Frelick to end the game and bring the momentum back to the team. The team couldn’t have asked for a better time for a solid Freddy Peralta start. He was due, and definitely needed. Six innings, three hits, zero runs and he got to 101 pitches. That’s the Pat Murphy era right there! Also, this runners-in-scoring-position thing with Milwaukee needs to stop now, or it’s going to lead to a lot of losses. On Monday, they were 0-9. Tuesday was 1-6 and Wednesday was 1-5. The offense is going to have ups and downs, but this has been happening for more than a week. The Brewers were in the top 10 for most of the season, but it’s starting to slip. A hard hit on Contreras to end Sunday’s game didn’t help. It appears he is fine, and Yelich and Adames are starting to heat up again. Garrett Mitchell returning should give the team a nice burst as well. Plenty of people still think he’s overrated, but I will not go after a guy who has hit a series of bad luck. He still hasn’t been able to play a full season. And every single time he's on the roster, the Brewers are just better. His energy and talent brings this team to a new level, and it’s coming soon. Hopefully, players like Hoskins and Chourio can keep trending up as well. Sal Frelick is hitting almost .300 the past month. The signs are there, it’s just that they aren’t really executing right now. But the wins are still coming, so a huge credit to them as well for that. I still don't like Manny Machado. Be good people, and Go Brewers!

Let’s be honest, having to write about the Brewers and Phillies series isn’t very fun. It was probably the most exhausting series of the season. That is the silver lining, though. The fact that the first sweep against the Brewers didn’t happen until June is a good thing. It also doesn’t hurt that the Phillies are one of the best National League teams. Two current NL favorites going head-to-head and competing each game is a solid baseball experience. It’s just that the Brewers couldn’t pull any of them out for a win this week. Issues In Philadelphia The immediate reaction is that the Brewers need offensive help. Let’s pump the brakes a bit on that, though. William Contreras showed he’s actually a mortal this past week, but is still the best catcher in baseball and should be an All-Star starter this year. Voting opened by the way, so go do that now! Besides Contreras, Christian Yelich had a down series, along with Willy Adames. A lot of the young players just had a hard time playing in Philly. It’s pretty well-known that most visiting teams don’t sleep well when they play the Phillies. Call it an excuse all you want, but multiple factors go into baseball and performance. Mental status has a lot to do with it. Don’t believe me? Look at Yelich in 2021-2022 compared to 2023-2024. Did you know that Philadelphia is now 27-9 when playing in Philly? Well, now you do. They have basically been unstoppable at home this season. The Brewers had momentum, but ran into the buzzsaw of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola as well. The team had their chances. Tuesday’s game went into extras, and Milwaukee had about 12 chances to win that game. Just some bad hitting, random bullpen choices from Pat Murphy and (for some reason) Brice Turang not bunting. These are the growing pains of baseball. But let’s relax a bit. There are literally 100 games left to play. The Brewers are off to a great start and still have a five-game lead in the NL Central. Moreover, help is on the way. Garrett Mitchell could be back by the 17th. Devin Williams should return later this summer. And extra help? Well, it better be on the way. The Brewers Need Starting Pitching I want to first say that the Brewers’ pitching staff did a hell of a job against the Phillies. It truly was the offense that bears most of the blame. You had Bryse Wilson, Colin Rea and Aaron Ashby go against the best offense in the league and did really well. Philadelphia is first in runs, third in OPS, second in home runs, first in RBIs and basically top-five in every other statistical category. The Brewers are right there with them in most of those categories. Second in runs, second in OPS, fourth in home runs and second in RBIs. It just shows how bad of a series the Brewers had hitting. And the fact that this Brewers pitching group only gave up seven total runs is great. The elephant in the room, though, is that they need starting pitching badly. Aaron Ashby’s return was fantastic. I was so happy to see him do well. He definitely needed time to get over his shoulder injury and gain some movement back. But to go five innings, two hits, two runs and three strikeouts was exactly what the team needed. Losing Robert Gasser is another big hit. He will be on the 15-day injured list starting Jun. 2. That now means the Brewers have lost Wade Miley, DL Hall, Jakob Junis, Joe Ross and now Gasser. Hall could be out for quite a while, and his status is still a mystery. Junis and Ross should be returning soon, per Todd Rosiak below: The rotation needs more, though. Freddy Peralta is still their ace, but he needs a few more shutdown starts or there is some concern there. Rea has been great. Wilson has been good, but is it sustainable? Then you will have Ashby, Junis and Ross. This team needs to upgrade. I am a huge Matt Arnold fan, but he needs to pick up that phone. Sign a few veterans to see how they would do. Find out why Zack Greinke won’t sign with anyone yet. Make that trade and send a few lower-level prospects for a starting pitcher or two. I know Arnold was at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game this week, so he could be starting to take those steps. I’m not sure what he's waiting for, unless it be that would-be trade partners just aren't ready to move yet. He can’t let this team get close to .500 before suddenly realizing they have to do something. This Brewers team is good, and a few more pieces can make them great. There is a lot of season left. We can officially be worried if the offense doesn’t show up again against the Tigers. But for now, stay the course. They know they need to be better, and remember that help is on the way. (Looking at you, Arnold.) Being Welcomed By White Sox Fans I also wanted to take a moment and talk about a fun little moment I had over the weekend. The Chicago White Sox came to town, and a giant tailgate was organized by White Sox fans and their Twitter community. I knew I wasn’t going to miss that. They are good people, and basically the opposite of the Cubs fans we tend to get at games in Milwaukee. After finding some tickets, I went with one of my podcast hosts, Paul, from “Another Brewers Podcast”. (Cheap plug!) I was a little worried what would happen and if I would be welcomed. Thankfully, I was completely wrong to be. After arriving to the parking lot, it immediately started raining hard. I am an adult now, so thankfully, I had packed a cheap poncho and extra clothes in my clear Brewers carry-in bag, along with water. College Me (who went to Brewers tailgates far, far less willing to trade looking cool for feeling good) is laughing so hard right now. As soon as I got there, I saw someone I knew and they immediately came and said hi and gave me a big hug. Janice introduced me to everyone, and I had some great conversations even before Paul came. They had about 20 coolers of drinks, with tents everywhere set up. They had free burgers, brats, hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. Free snacks and desserts. And of course, Malört with cicadas in it. You heard that right. I was blown away by how awesome everyone was, especially to someone wearing a bright blue Willy Adames City Connect jersey. As a Brewers fan, I see a lot of people talking about the Brewers front office and ownership and how bad it is. That doesn't hold a candle to the state of the current White Sox and their fans. The team is in a rough spot, could break the record for longest losing streak in their franchise's history, and might not win 50 games this year. At least we can say the Brewers are set up for success for the next half-decade. Sox fans enjoy no such succor. It was a great time, the Brewers won, and I accidentally stole a koozie from the self-checkout. I promise I will make it up to y’all* *This is a joke and I by no means accidentally put the koozie under my arm and paid and walked away without realizing it please don’t arrest me Be good people, and Go Brewers!

I’m not doing a long intro to this article. Deal with it. Let’s get into this amazing series against the division rivals, who are now under .500. The Brewers are now 33-23, and 10 games over .500. They also have a five-game lead in the division over the now-second place St. Louis Cardinals, as the other Chicago team comes to American Family Field this weekend. Let's break down how it all happened. Memorial Day and Game One It was discussed at length all offseason: What will happen when Craig Counsell returns to American Family Field? Will there be booing? Cheering? Something in between? Well, the Milwaukee Brewers organization set themselves up perfectly. Before the game started, a Craig Counsell tribute video started to play on the brand-new scoreboard in center field. And then it started. A stadium full of Brewers (and Cubs) fans erupted with boos. Oh boy, did they give it to him. And the fact that Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder were initially surprised is so funny. Fans were talking about booing him since October. I have to give it up for Counsell, though. His belly laugh when it happened was perfect. He could have done his Craig blank stare or been annoyed. He got it. It shows what baseball is all about. Yes, it’s not a great feeling to get booed by 40,000+ people. But at the end of the day, it’s a game, and both teams are basically friends off the field. It’s a rivalry to the fans, more than to the actual players and coaches. What a great moment, though. The fans expressed how they felt all series, which will enhance this rivalry for the next four to five years. It also doesn’t hurt that the Brewers won the game. Milwaukee continued to struggle against Cubs starters over the first two games. The Cubs bullpen, on the other hand, is nothing special at all. I can’t imagine being Counsell and going from a perennially top-five bullpen to one that so massively isn’t. Almost a decade of Corey Knebel, Josh Hader and Devin Williams, and now a rotating wheel of underachievement. That's a shame. A solid start by Justin Steele was matched by a solid start by Robert Gasser. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, it all broke open. After a fielder's choice run from William Contreras, Willy Adames smashed a 427-foot home run to center to give the team a 4-0 lead. Jackson Chourio brought in another run to make it 5-0. The baby bears got a run in the ninth, but it was over. It was the perfect way to end the game. I was so full from that victory, I didn't leave any room for dinner. I thought to myself, "Even if we lose the rest of the series, I'll be happy." Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Game Two and Extra Innings I was a bit dramatic on Twitter after this loss: In some ways, I still feel that way. It was a very big low after a huge high. At that time, most thought the Brewers would be without Trevor Megill for a while, Luckily, the line drive Mike Tauchman smashed back through the box missed his elbow, and he won't need an IL stint (for now). It just seemed like the same old Brewers. Wasting an amazing start from your ace and having everything go wrong for a painful loss. In theory, it was a great game. Extra innings with a rival. It's just that Megill getting rocked in the arm by a pitch led to him not being able to field the ball, and that brought in a run. Hoby Milner had to come in cold, and it definitely showed. The Cubs capitalized. The only good part was that Counsell had to use two bullpen pitchers in the 10th inning, which helped the Brewers later in the series. It was a tough 6-3 loss, but it truly exposed the Brewers' currently weak bench. It shouldn't be ao for long, though. Rhys Hoskins is set to return when the team starts their series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, Jun. 3. There was no way he was missing that. Garrett Mitchell should be back soon, too. Tyler Black could be a series or two away from another call-up. And there it is, your updated bench. It's just that right now, players like Oliver Dunn, Owen Miller and Andruw Monasterio aren't cutting it. I have nothing against them, but upgrades should be made. Monasterio is a victim of a deeper, more talented bench this year, and has had limited playing time, which is definitely a factor. But as we head into June, the Crew needs bats that lead to production off the bench, Owen Miller should not be coming up to the plate with no outs and two men on base and hitting into a double play. My guess is that Murphy and the front office are hoping to get through the White Sox weekend with another series win before stocking up for Philly. Shota Imanaga Is Mortal In Game Three Leading up to the game, all anyone would talk about was how well Shota Imanaga was pitching for the Cubs. That's exactly when I knew the Brewers were going to rock him. A rookie like Ben Brown that the Crew should be all over? He throws seven innings of no-hit baseball with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Imanaga, with a 5-0 record and ERA south of 1.00? They score seven over just four innings. Brewers baseball! It was a bounce-back win that shows how different this team is in the Pat Murphy/Rickie Weeks era. They always try to bite back. And this time, the bite was a 441-foot monster dinger from Christian Yelich in the bottom of the first. Then Adames's second home run of the series. There were so many bright spots from this game, Blake Perkins had the game of his career. He was 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs. His defense on Wednesday night, however, was probably the real highlight. Sorry to make you do some research here, but there have been some great deep dives recently on Perkins's defense. I would suggest checking them out. He's a top-10 defensive outfielder right now. Milwaukee is not getting nearly enough credit for how many games they are winning with their defense. That's why, when you see a couple of missed plays by Jake Bauers on Wednesday night, everyone is puzzled. When you aren't used to seeing it, it shocks the system. Brewers win 10-6, and at least clinch the series tie. Game Four and Gary Sánchez Says Hi Another great game to wrap up the series. Another solid start from Colin Rea, the quiet MVP of this team right now. With the way they are currently playing, I would have no problem going Peralta, Gasser and Rea in a playoff series. With a stacked bullpen behind them, we are in good shape. That being said, I fully expect this team to trade for a solid number-two or -three starter before the deadline. I would be shocked if they didn't. Willy Adames is now on a nine-game hitting streak. That's good, right? Because I still keep seeing people claim he needs to be traded and is not good. That's why he trails only Corey Seager in home runs by shortstops since the start of 2021? That's what bad players do? He went 2-3 with a run, and has brought his average up to .260. Am I digging for lamps so I can wish that he signs a three-year extension that is extremely team-friendly? Yes, I am. Once again, the Cubs bullpen fell apart. They only gave up three hits, but they also issued two walks and three earned runs in the process. For the Brewers, Bryan Hudson also showed he was human. He still has a 1.13 ERA and 37 punch-outs, so I am not worried about him right now. But we have to talk about Gary Sánchez. What a signing he has been. He's the perfect DH and backup catcher for this team. William Contreras banged up a finger after Wednesday's game, so hopefully he just has to play it safe for a bit. You could tell he wasn't 100% on Thursday swinging the bat. With more than 24 hours between games, it should be in better shape for the White Sox series. Anyway, back to Sánchez. The 31-year-old veteran was only 2-for-12 in the Cubs series, but sometimes that doesn't tell the whole story. That double and home run led to four runs. And his two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth Thursday helped seal the victory during the Thursday afternoon game. "The Kraken" now has a .231 average, with seven home runs and an OPS of .772. Last season, he ended with a .219 average, 19 total home runs and an OPS of .780. The dude knows how to get on base and hit the ball hard when needed. He could easily have 25 to 30 long ones this season, though hopefully, he'll be kept in a role too small for that. Winning three out of four during Counsell's return to Milwaukee series was a huge deal and should be a huge confidence booster for this squad. Yelich, Contreras and Brice Turang are all playing like All-Stars. Joey Ortiz has an .877 OPS, and is in the mix for NL Rookie of the Year right now. Adames is having his best season since 2021. Sal Frelick, Perkins and Chourio are all hitting better, while playing some great defense. Hoskins is almost back, while Sánchez and Jake Bauers have been hitting for power to pick up the slack. Let's hope it continues against the White Sox. It is the perfect trap series that has plagued Milwaukee before. Losing to bad teams when they should easily win. I'll be there Saturday, so they better bring it. Be good people, and go Brewers!