Jake McKibbin

I wonder how long they'd wait if he just bombed tonight, and mashed a few balls in Nashville. Like what are they realistically requiring of him? Also could be very interesting having a veteran expert defense third baseman with Tyler Black. Best way to learn

Have there been any toxic rumours from the Yankees clubhouse? It's possible he's developed more control of himself, and is just an experienced head from the school of hard knocks

Due to the change in teams, the 60 day gets reassessed. Apparently fit and ready to go, they want to get him some AB's in Nashville to get his timing and once they think he's ready he'll be up, but there aren't any constraints Still a toss up between Gasser and Rea, could be either

Given how easily the clubhouse chemistry affected them last year, I can't see this without prior approval of the big names in the clubhouse. The only plus for him is that he pissed off Tim Anderson His underlying metrics look good this year but I wonder if this is a "let's consider it" but not likely to happen thing

The Milwaukee Brewers had a fantastic August, despite two tough-luck losses against the Cubs. Is this an outlier, or are they really as good as their recent record suggests? Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Despite a relatively tame ending with two tight losses to the Chicago Cubs, the Brewers have had an exceptional month of baseball. They found their feet both as a pitching unit and (more noticeably) with the bats, culminating in a nine-game winning streak. There is fair reason to believe that this isn’t a flash in the pan, and that their success will continue through the month of September and beyond. The Aces are Back Brandon Woodruff’s return from injury, alongside Wade Miley, has helped the Brewers return to the sort of pitching dominance many expected throughout the year. There are no four starters who, on their day, have a better chance of going six shutout innings, especially with the way the Brewers defense is stacked up. In the month of August, as a unit they were: 1st in Opponent Batting Average (.206) 3rd in ERA (3.36) 3rd in WHIP (1.08) 1st in Strikeouts per Nine (9.73) Earlier in the season, the Brewers wanted to rely heavily on Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes while dealing with an injury-riddled rotation. However, neither performed to expectations, with Burnes struggling to generate the type of swing-and-miss to which he has made us all accustomed, while Peralta was struggling mightily with his command and with home runs. The Brewers were 15th in the league in ERA before the All-Star break, but since then, they have become the illustrious rotation that was expected. The big difference is the number of strikeouts the staff has been getting, a key stat in that it’s very projectable. A team that gets outs without the ball being in play is less susceptible to BABIP fortune, stops baserunners advancing cheaply and can get out of high-pressure situations. Although Burnes isn’t quite putting up the gaudy numbers of 2021 and 2022, Peralta and Woodruff have been attacking hitters relentlessly behind their fastballs, to great effect. An Offensive Formula The new additions to the Brewers roster have given them an identity on offense--a gritty, hardworking identity, that has managed to scrape together hits in ways that just weren’t being seen earlier in the season. I mentioned strikeout rate being important for the pitching staff above, and it’s been key for the hitters, too. You can’t get hits unless you put the ball in play, and doing so has made the offense a much more consistent weapon, perfectly suited for their pitching staff. In trading out at-bats from an injured Rowdy Tellez, Owen Miller, Jesse Winker, Joey Wiemer and Brian Anderson for the far more consistent hitting talents of Carlos Santana, Mark Canha, Sal Frelick, Andruw Monasterio and a healthier Tellez, they’ve managed to connect the lineup, and generate more balls in play that will eventually lead to runs, one way or another. One thing’s for sure: they don’t need to score too many with this pitching staff the way it is. The pre-break lineup had the fourth-most strikeouts in the league. In August, nobody has struck out less than the Milwaukee Brewers. Add to that the occasional power input from players like Rowdy Tellez, who has hit every single fastball hard in August, as well as a hard-hit rate of 71.4% against breaking balls (albeit a small sample size, but this was absent in May and June). If the Brewers are continuing to find ways to get on base ahead of an in-form Tellez, the runs will come. The improved performance has actually been in contrast to a BABIP that's worse in August than it was for the earlier part of the season, so perhaps the luck part is still to come for the Brewers. (Then again, it's also true that they've had to trade some quality of contact to gain so great a quantity of it. It's the eternal dilemma of two-strike hitting.) Fresh off the Farm One thing the Brewers missed last season was support from their farm system, with a lot of their more talented prospects still amongst the lower levels of the system. Not so much now, and in August they’ve had two big weapons join the parent club. Sal Frelick encapsulates what this offense was in August, with a 16% strikeout rate, and a 16% walk rate. He’s been patient at the plate, putting balls in play, all while still finding his timing at the major-league level. There is more to come from this young rookie, but for now, a .371 OBP is exceptional, and a marked improvement over what Joey Wiemer had been providing against right-handed pitchers. The other area where the Brewers struggled was the bullpen--not the top end, with their four top relievers excelling, but in the soft middle that so often lets down even well-built teams. Enter Abner Uribe, who (save for one shaky outing) has been far more than the Brewers could have hoped, especially given the rough patch faced by Elvis Peguero earlier in the month. His searing fastball and wipeout slider have resulted in a number of uncomfortable at-bats by some of the best hitters the league has to offer. His 1.12 WHIP and 1.83 ERA have been vital over the recent run of wins, keeping games tight and allowing the offense time to come back. Earlier in the season, this wasn’t happening, with blowup outings at the back end of the bullpen. Amongst the current line-up’s approach and construction, the return to form of the Brewers rotation, and the energetic promotions from the farm system, the Brewers have earned every win they got in August, not through luck, but as a result of consistency and talent. Luck invariably plays a significant role in baseball, but that doesn't mean the Crew's success has been an accident. Make no mistake, this is a very different team from before the trade deadline, performing to a high level even despite some key contributors malfunctioning a little (such as Christian Yelich). They are primed to continue this stretch through September, and be a serious force in the postseason. View full article

I'd probably pay attention to the lineups in Nashville, but Counsell likely won't announce anything until the latest moment, so probably tomorrow with rumours on twitter today? Actually on second thought, to be post season eligible they'll have to be registered today, so I'm guessing they will!

I'd be all for it A bit unfortunate with the hitting, I'd give brewers the edge still Underlying metrics were better this series, just didn't get hits in the right spots. Baseball giveth and taketh away, but I'd still be feeling confident

I can't see him coming up and hitting .300 and slugging .550, but I think key to Black is he puts the ball in play, limits strikeouts and control the zone extremely well, that's translated to Triple A quite seamlessly. He's a tough at bat, something Anderson just isn't, and it's how the Brewers are trying to structure their offense He at least puts ball in play and gets on base enough that he'll be used off the bench, unlike Anderson I don't think he's going to dominate... But I find it tough to not think he'd an upgrade on someone that's literally doing nothing

This is what gives hope that the August form is sustainable 😍 thanks!

I wholeheartedly was in agreement, but it's been on the upwards trend considerably over the second half of his tenure there (SSS alert) That and his plate discipline I think are key, in that he'd likely be trusted with the at bats that Brian Anderson isn't getting. He finds ways to get on base. I'm not saying he'll play every day, but I do think he's valuable. Or more so than Anderson anyway

That's an incredibly long lineup the Brewers have out, almost no weak spots there. Tail end can get on base, and you could argue all of the top seven have shown a semblance of form of late

I'm cautiously optimistic. I think if the Brewers played these games with these matchups 100 times, they'd win the series about 70% of those, but this is baseball and any team can win any game Hendricks is a weird one, he'll definitely be helped by the wind today keeping the ball in play, especially against this fastballs. The question is really if they can lay off the changeup early in the count, make him throw it for strikes to get ahead, and maybe a little BABIP luck. There will be a lot of balls in play today

In Ireland, there is a term for players who just can’t seem to get game time no matter what they bring to the table: the bin juice. Brian Anderson is reaching that level of putrefaction, and the Brewers need to freshen that roster spot. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports The Brewers have several pitchers with whom defense comes at an absolute premium, though that has lessened of late with Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff racking up the strikeouts like nobody’s business. The seventh- and eighth-inning specialists (Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps and Abner Uribe) all generate significant ground ball rates. It would make sense to bring in Brian Anderson with four-run leads like the Brewers had on Monday night, but it didn’t happen. That invites an uncomfortable question: if not then, when? The only reason the Brewers still have him on the 26--man roster may be due to a reluctance to designate him for assignment, lest Andruw Monasterio go down injured. They have managed to boost production from a number of slumping positions in the first half, and this could be the last piece they need to really surge forward. Anderson has struggled mightily this season with the bat, falling behind regularly due to an inability to hit fastballs, combined with an exceptionally passive approach at the plate. Then, too, he's seen too much swing-and-miss against offspeed stuff, combined with increasing chase rates against breaking pitches as the season has gone on. The month of June was his last stretch of regular playing time, during which he hit just .170 on fastballs, .214 on breaking balls and .111 on offspeed pitches. He was almost as poor in May, so despite the hot start in April, it’s clear the Brewers just don’t trust his bat, and the mistrust is not mislaid. If a pitcher has any form of changeup in his repertoire, it’s an almost certain out. As of now, Anderson has a 30.1% strikeout rate, while demonstrating limited power. That will not cut the mustard (to digress, why would anyone ever cut mustard?). Perhaps, with more regular playing time, he could find his form again, but that’s just not a luxury they can afford right now in the midst of a playoff race and some intense series this week against the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. The Incumbent Andruw Monasterio has been a godsend for the Brewers, with some of the most consistently high-quality at-bats in the lineup. He has a good ability to put the ball in play; has provided decent defense (with the occasional mishap) at the hot corner; and shows a baseball nous on the basepaths and at the plate that have served him well He averages 88.8 miles per hour in exit velocity, while finding the sweet spot launch angle (between eight and 32 degrees) over 40 percent of the time, spraying the ball to all fields, and striking out in just 19 percent of plate appearances. All of this adds up to a player who can find the outfield grass enough to be a valuable lower-order hitter. He’s done a lot of his damage against fastballs, with an xBA of .301 and xSLG of .432, but he can be a little passive at times, taking too many pitches over the heart of the plate. However, the ethos of this offense is grinding out at-bats, and making pitchers work, so the staff will have no problems with this at all. He came up to join the Brewers at a time when they were really struggling against lefthanders, comfortably the worst in the league in this aspect, but Monasterio has hit .319/.439/.447 against southpaws, with as many walks as strikeouts. Part of the reason for this is that lefties generally target the inner part of the zone more (coming to that now). Counsell recently referred to Monasterio as “slump-proof” due to his approach at the plate and his incredibly level swing path. That's one big reason why he’s in the lineup every day at the moment. He does have a couple of weaknesses, and pitchers are starting to adapt to him: As you can see, he not only swings and misses more on pitches away from him, but he struggles to create the type of exit velocity that regularly translates into hits. The good news is he’s quite aware of this, and early in the count, he avoids swinging at pitches on the outer stripe significantly more. He has a swing rate below 50% on the outer third, compared to swing rates approaching 70% in the rest of the strike zone. He also has struggled a little bit with breaking pitches. These are slightly skewed, as they are often the putaway pitch, meaning at bats ending in breaking pitches will often have lower averages. That being said, he has a whiff rate of over 30% against them (not especially high, but significantly larger for him), with 21 strikeouts, 51 batted-ball events, and an xBA of just .177. Against lefthanders however, this skyrockets to a .316/.579 slash line (with a significant bit of luck) and just a 23% whiff rate. He puts the ball in play and produces consistently. As a strong platoon bat, he will find a place in this lineup. The question becomes whether he's better as an everyday bat, or whether there is a superior alternative. The Slight Taste of Regret? Bradley Blalock was a lottery ticket. He's Rule 5-eligible in the offseason, with high potential upside (though that hasn’t shown so far with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers), in return for the cast-aside husk of Luis Urias. Coming into the year, until the injury on Opening Day, Urias was expected to be a big part of the organization’s success this year, shuffling between second and third base and likely giving them something better than league-average offense. He surpassed 3.0 WAR in both 2021 and 2022, but his post-injury performances were woeful, on top of seemingly lackluster efforts with the Nashville Sounds in Triple A. Since moving to the Boston Red Sox, he’s had an xWOBA of .323, while garnering a .220/.361/.380 slash line, with nine walks to 12 strikeouts. This includes two grand slams and 11 RBIs in 62 plate appearances, adding a power dynamic at third base that Monasterio just doesn’t have. He’s performing far closer to his efforts in 2022, and you’d expect the Brewers would take that over Anderson at the moment. They cashed in, but they may come to regret the decision given Urias's proven track record. It’s unlikely they’d have offered him $5 million to play next season, so a non-tender was nigh inevitable, but could Urias have added impetus and versatility in the infield down the stretch? Undoubtedly. To judge a decision at the time compared to hindsight seems a markedly unfair way to assess the transaction, however, and that move did open up an avenue for someone on the farm. Speaking of; If you wanted a platoon…. Tyler Black has been one of the best pure hitting prospects in the Brewers system, with a strong command of the strike zone along with an ability to elevate balls and hit for more power this season. He was sent to Nashville earlier in August, and after a rough start, with three hits in his first 36 at-bats, he’s found his footing and his timing, beginning to excel. Over his last 11 games, Black has a .326 batting average, with four doubles, two home runs (one off a position player), and seven walks against five strikeouts. His plate discipline has been superb, and his timing has come around with much more regular elevation into the outfield. A major indicator that Black may be ready is how well he handled the extra movement in Double-A Biloxi earlier in the season, where they used a tackier ball that notably altered the control and swing-and-miss potential of pitchers at that level. He responded with a .411 OBP, popping 14 home runs, eight triples and 16 doubles. He flat-out raked, with a power upside that most didn’t see coming. His plate discipline and strike zone control give him a really solid floor from which to work, and on top of that, he’s a left-handed hitter with a .965 OPS against right-handed pitching this season, which would fit beautifully with Monasterio at third base. His defense was heavily questionable earlier in the year, but he has become much more proficient and capable since then, projecting as a solid defender rather than the liability he was at the start of the season. He has also stepped in occasionally at first, and could potentially cover second base in a pinch as well, having played it for most of his adult life. Black is ready, he’s versatile, and even if it’s simply to pinch hit, he’s a far better option on the bench than Brian Anderson. He could kickstart the offense yet further, with a power jolt that Monasterio just doesn’t have. Having worked out the kinks in their lineup that plagued the Brewers earlier in the season, third base is the only one with question marks still surrounding it. One move could fix all of that. The Brewers started the season with two Brian Andersons. With one rumored to be off to a national network, they may finish it with none. View full article

Also Brewers had a .298 xBA, Cubs had a .230 xBA. Killer was the walks and HBP, Burnes walked guys and Steele avoided it for the most part

Wiemer hit a bullet, and monstered a ball just foul. Didn't quite fall for him but he does see left handers well

I was just thinking how he hasn't done any damage at all down and in all year, it's been his biggest weakness. Thanks Matt!

Steele has struggled a little more of late... I think this may entirely depend on whether Cy Burnes turns up. Deserves some leeway his last start for the soaking ball, but the two before that were a little fortunate in ways compared to his previous month of excellence. If he's nails I think the Brewers take this one

Brewers in the first inning

So weird to wake up on Tuesday morning in Ireland and not check up on the outstanding minor league games

Christian Yelich homer in that game I feel was absolutely huge, it just settled the nerves instantly. It was beautiful. The reason I think it was important is because the Cubs have the best infield defense in baseball, Hoerner and Swanson are exemplary, but wow did Swanson struggle last night, and you could attribute multiple runs to them (potentially three?) with the extra out in the first likely saving two runs, then the throw into the dugout. The Brewers on the other hand, especially Turang, who was handling some nasty hops with ease, prevented men on when the home runs came. That's a game where last seasons Kolten Wong would've lost the Brewers the game (and even more so this seasons Kolten Wong)

I think it was leverage index!

That's just good hitting, well located pitch and he connected

The Brewers are going after Taillon, not letting him settle at all. Recently the AB's have been much more grindy than this, but good to see them see pitches to hit and just attack