Jason Wang

Now that we’re 97 games into the season, which players have been better than anticipated? More importantly, can they keep that up? Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports While they were very much counted as part of the race, the Brewers didn't enter the 2024 season as favorites to win the NL Central. Yet, at the All-Star break, there they sit, four and a half games ahead of the Cardinals atop the division standings. To be so much outstripping their preseason projections, they needed to get some surprising performances. Here are three guys who have fit that bill. LHP Bryan Hudson For a player who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers in the last week of 2023, Hudson has already exceeded his anticipated value. He was acquired in exchange for Justin Chambers and a player to be named later, and has been outstanding since arriving in the great state of Wisconsin. His numbers are simply outlandish; absurd; mind-boggling. Over 48 ⅓ innings, he’s pitched to a 1.49 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 9.9 K/9. Despite not throwing anything harder than the low 90s, his 29.3% strikeout rate bespeaks his dominance. His four-seam fastball averages 91.7 mph, while his sweeper and cutter both sit in the 80s. His fastball pairing is competitive, but his sweeper is where the rubber meets the road. Opposing batters are averaging just .039 on plate appearances that end with that pitch, while striking out 45.6% of the time. The Brewers have been remarkably consistent at churning out top-tier arms, especially in the pen, and Hudson seems like the latest example on a long list of successful experiments. With a 6’8” frame and a crafty lefty delivery, Milwaukee may have found a real diamond in the rough with plenty of team control left. OF Christian Yelich As a Brewers fan, you’ve likely heard some version of “Christian Yelich is so back, I’m going to wager my child’s entire college fund on [insert gambling app] for him to win MVP” storyline, before every season since he wrapped up his superb 2019. In the years since, he’s struggled to be the same person he was when he first joined the Brewers, averaging just a .768 OPS from 2020-2023. But this year’s different, I swear. This is the most first-half momentum he has had in a while, slashing .326/.412/.521 on the way to receiving his first All-Star nod in five years. He leads the National League in batting average, but also has 12 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, and 21 stolen bases. His quality-of-contact numbers are mostly unchanged, but he’s striking out and whiffing considerably less. Specifically, he’s been able to cut down his strikeout rate against sliders by 10.1% and against sweepers by 19.1%. His 2.5 rWAR has already matched the mark he reached in 671 plate appearances in 2022, and he’s on pace to eclipse the 3.6 he had last year. While haters (Cardinals fans) may bet on regression down the stretch, he’s dazzled in the first half. 2B Brice Turang In 2023, the rookie Turang posted a .585 OPS and 60 OPS+ after nearly a full season of starting at second base. It was pretty rough, but after switching from whole milk to oat milk in the offseason (and accidentally adopting a new bat handle, and a few other crucial thing, Turang has evolved into one of the most impactful infielders in 2024. His OPS has jumped to .731, thanks to a boost in his batting average from .218 to .277. It's a meaningful jump. It’s even more meaningful when you realize that his top-tier speed has allowed him to steal 30 bases, four more than he did all of last season. The biggest driver behind this offensive renaissance is his newfound ability to pound the four-seam fastball. Last year, he averaged .198 and slugged .267 against four-seamers, making him an easy out for many pitchers. This year, he’s averaging .362 and slugging .486 against the same pitch. Combined with his stellar defense, his 4.0 rWAR leads the team by a comfortable margin. If 2024 Turang is indeed the Turang of the future, Milwaukee may have their hands on a powerhouse middle infielder for the next several years. In the meantime, every game seems to bring them closer to getting their hands on a second straight division title. View full article

Milwaukee picked up a ton of pitching on the second day of the draft, spending just one of their eight picks on a position player. Image courtesy of © Mitch Alcala/For The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK Round 3, Pick #93 - RHP Jaron DeBerry Slot Value: $788.7K A 6’3” starter out of Dallas Baptist University, DeBerry had a strong college career, capped off by a strong showing in his second season. He posted a 3.50 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 90 innings pitched, with 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) and a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ration (K/BB). His four-seam fastball sits in the low 90s, and he has a deep arsenal that contains a devastating sweeper in the mid-80s and a strong curveball. Round 4, Pick #123 - C Marco Dinges Slot Value: $583.4K This was the first season in which Dinges accumulated a considerable body of work with the Florida State Seminoles. At 6’0” and just under 21 years old, he slashed .323/.415/.583, with 12 doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs over 288 plate appearances. In addition to his great power, he struck out just 37 times against 38 walks. While officially listed as a catcher, he made just one appearance at the position and has more career games in right field than he does as a backstop. He primarily served as a designated hitter last season. He's a bat-first backstop, but maybe the Milwaukee pitch-framing infrastructure can work its magic here. Round 5, Pick #156 - RHP John Holobetz Slot Value: $422.9K The 6’3” Holobetz just wrapped up his junior year with Old Dominion University, where he pitched 62 ⅔ innings, with a 4.31 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. His four-seam fastball has been able to get up to the mid-90s, often paired with a low-80s slider. He’s listed as a reliever, but of his 15 total appearances in 2024, only five were outings fewer than four innings. He’s got excellent stamina for a bullpen arm, but developing more variety in his arsenal will be key if he wants to make the move to being a starter. Round 6, Pick #185 - RHP Chandler Welch Slot Value: $328.7K A 6’0” junior from Tulane University, Welch had a 4.65 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP over 89 innings pitched. He managed 8.9 K/9, but gave up a whopping 11.0 H/9 with 2.4 BB/9, so expanding the zone in search of weaker contact might be a good thing to work on in the future. Round 6, Pick #215 - LHP Mason Molina Slot Value: $257.4K Molina was most recently a starting pitcher for the University of Arkansas, after spending the first two years of his college career at Texas Tech. In his lone year with the Razorbacks, he put up a 4.47 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 58 ⅓ innings pitched. He’s a crafty 6’2” lefty, and his strikeout numbers were stellar at 12.5 K/9, but his command suffered--as shown in his 5.6 BB/9. His fastball sits in the low 90s, and he also throws a decent changeup and curveball combo, rounding things out with an average slider. Round 8, Pick #245 - LHP Sam Garcia Slot Value: $210.7K A 6’4” starter for Oklahoma State, Garcia spent his first three college years with High Point University. He pitched well in his senior campaign, amassing a 3.64 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 89 innings pitched. He even managed 11.6 K/9 and 6.05 K/BB. Round 9, Pick #275 - RHP Griffin Tobias Slot Value: $190.9K The first of two high schoolers taken on the second day of the draft, the 6’0” Tobias has a strong commitment to playing baseball for Indiana University, which may make it more difficult to get him to sign. While pitching for Lake Central High School in 2024, he posted an impressive 0.95 ERA over 66 ⅓ innings pitched with 98 strikeouts. Round 10, Pick #305 - RHP Ethan Dorchies Slot Value: $180.4K Last but not least, the 6’5” Dorchies managed a 3.50 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 63 innings pitched in his senior year with Cary-Grove High School. He’s currently committed to the University of Illinois-Chicago, and throws a low 90s fastball with a slider/curveball combo. It looks like the Crew will also have some money to throw around on Day 3 of the draft, so it'll be interesting to see how they spend it. In the meantime, this is an interesting bumper crop for a farm that knows it needs to be fertile when it comes to pitching in the coming years. What do you think of the team's choices? View full article

Is a short-term rotation rental the best way for Milwaukee to capitalize on their great present position without sacrificing too much of their future? Given what they've got, it might be. Image courtesy of © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports While some teams will be forced to decide between being a buyer or a seller over the next two weeks, the Brewers have given themselves enough of a cushion to be comfortably in the playoff picture. With a 5.5-game lead over the second-place Cardinals and a record of 54-39, things are looking pretty rosy. However, being invited to the postseason dance and actually being able to stay long enough to hear “Cha Cha Slide” are two different things. Milwaukee hasn’t won a playoff series since their 2018 run to the NLCS, despite making it to October four out of the past five years. Therefore, when it comes to the trade deadline, the overall directive seems pretty clear: bolster the roster for a deep playoff run. The best way to do so might be to focus on repairing the team’s tattered starting rotation. Let’s do a quick injury rundown, shall we? Having both received Tommy John surgery this season, Wade Miley and Robert Gasser are still a long ways away from returning to the active roster. Brandon Woodruff is closer, but still not close enough to be a factor for the 2024 season. DL Hall was looking good on a rehab assignment with the Nashville Sounds, but a hard comebacker led him to be shut down for another 3-10 days, pushing his eventual return even further down the line. Last but not least (in fact, kind of last but first?), Joe Ross just made the second outing of his rehab assignment, pitching 3 ⅔ scoreless innings with three strikeouts in Triple-A. He’ll likely be the first one to return to the team. While there are many ways to strengthen a rotation, the best bet for Milwaukee might be to get a short-term rental starter for the postseason. Why is this better than acquiring someone with more long-term potential? Because the Brewers might not need it. Assuming no one else runs into additional freak injuries (Jakob Junis-style), Woodruff should be back to help the rotation in 2025, followed by Gasser and Miley around the second half. Jacob Misiorowski might also be major-league ready next year, another potential X-factor. Aaron Ashby is also alive. The Brewers really just need an arm to hold them over for the remainder of this injury-marred season and give them a little more confidence in this one postseason, so anything more would just increase the price for not a whole lot of useful return. Who matches the description of a reliable rental starter? Jack Flaherty comes to mind. He’s been shoving for the Detroit Tigers, posting a 3.24 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 89 innings pitched. He’s signed on a one-year, $14-million deal and will test free agency for a second time in 2025. At 14 games behind the Guardians and seven games back from a Wild Card spot, it would make a ton of sense for Detroit to sell Flaherty for someone with more team control, especially given their current young core. Michael Lorenzen is another potential target, although a frustrating one, because he could have been had this winter for less than the Crew paid Junis. He has pitched to a 3.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 92 innings with the Rangers this year. He’s on an even cheaper one-year, $4.5 million deal, and the Rangers are 6.5 games back from the division, seven games back from a Wild Card spot. If the team wants to add a lefty to the mix, Andrew Heaney could be a serviceable option. He’s got a 3.80 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 90 innings pitched, and will also become a free agent after his two-year, $25 million contract runs out this year. He’s a bit more expensive than Lorenzen, but still a viable option, boasting an excellent chase rate (32.8%) and better-than-average walk rate (6.2%). Shopping for a rental starter good enough to make a feasible postseason impact is kind of like finding a great movie at the bottom of the bargain bin. There aren’t a ton of great options, but the feeling of finding a diamond in the rough is one of unmatched satisfaction. So while you look for the latest Steven Seagal DVD, Milwaukee should be looking for the final piece of their 2024 puzzle. View full article

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Shoutout to Matt Trueblood for the pointers on this piece and leading me in the right direction!

Gary Sánchez will be back from the IL sooner than later, so what does that mean for Eric Haase and the backup backstop picture? Image courtesy of © Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports On Jun. 26, Gary Sánchez was placed on the 10-day IL for a left calf strain. To replace him, Eric Haase was called back up, and he's performed admirably in Sánchez's stead, slashing .455/.455/.727 over his 11 plate appearances with the team so far. It has been a great streak, for a player who managed just a .528 OPS in 2023. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and in this case, the good thing is probably Haase’s hot streak. Presumably, he'll come back to Earth a bit, and Sánchez is reportedly very close to returning to the active roster. If Haase is designated for assignment to make room for Sánchez, it’s doubtful that he’d clear waivers, given the way he's played all season both for Triple-A Nashville and with the Crew and the perpetual league-wide need for better catching depth. It was a mild surprise when he made it through at the beginning of the season, and the Crew are unlikely to get so lucky four months later, given the attrition and poor performances that have piled up in the meantime. The Orioles and Guardians are two teams that come to mind, the first trotting out James McCann (.571 OPS) behind Adley Rutschman and the latter having Austin Hedges (.421 OPS) as their secondary catcher. Hedges is practically a coach in uniform, but McCann would be relatively easy to let go for Baltimore, and of course, you never know which other teams might take an interest. In the short term, it wouldn’t make much sense to have three catchers on the roster, especially when one of them is as heavily used as William Contreras. Although he’s slumped big-time since his MVP-tier play at the beginning of the season, Contreras still has an OPS of .806 and is a consistent lineup presence. He plays almost every day. The Brewers have too many other good options (some of them, like Haase, tough to farm out) to let two roster spots be tied up in backing up Contreras. But what happens if Sánchez gets reinjured, or Contreras cracks under the burden of his workload? The options for Milwaukee in Triple-A aren’t great, at least from a hitting standpoint. Francisco Mejía has played the most innings at catcher for the Nashville Sounds, but is slashing just .249/.314/.385 over 239 plate appearances in a very hitter-friendly environment. Nor is he an inspiring defensive option. In an ideal world, the need for a backup catcher could result in highly-ranked Brewers prospect Jeferson Quero getting called up, but in the crueler one, he had season-ending shoulder surgery in April, so that’s not going to happen. Perhaps a trade would be in order. Just last year, the Crew sent catcher Alex Jackson to the Rays in exchange for Evan McKendry, a right-handed starter currently pitching in Triple-A. With Victor Caratini already a serviceable backup option for Contreras, Jackson was a redundancy languishing away in Triple-A as a 27-year old. It was a win-win move, with Tampa Bay receiving a major league-ready player who is now their alternate catcher behind Ben Rortvedt, and Milwaukee receiving more starting pitching depth. Maybe the Brewers could do something similar, but this time in reverse, pursuing a near-ready catcher to use in case of emergency. It wouldn’t make sense to make this a priority at the deadline, nor to give up too much, so picking the right target would be key. One possible name could be Brian Serven, whom the Blue Jays claimed on waivers this spring and has been very good for them in Triple-A (though not so in a brief stint with the parent club). Another could be Mets spare part Joe Hudson. Kevin Plawecki, another 33-year old minor-leaguer, could be an option. He’s got a .778 OPS over 155 plate appearances with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate and San Diego could definitely use more pitching, especially in the bullpen. Their catcher depth is already good, with Luis Campusano and Kyle Higashioka holding down the fort while No. 6-ranked MLB prospect Ethan Salas earns his stripes. Surely they have no need for a someone nearly twice the age of Salas, right? These thoughts are really just in preparation for a worst-case scenario, and there's a good chance that that doesn't come to fruition. If both catchers on the major-league roster eat their Wheaties and stay out of trouble, this should all be a moot point. However, it’s yet another interesting example of how the Brewers’ front office might have to get crafty to address unfortunate roster situations. With moves to acquire and (hopefully) get the best out of struggling starters Dallas Keuchel and Aaron Civale, the backup catcher conjecture would be the latest in a long list of challenges for Milwaukee management. View full article

Milwaukee’s hitting has been pretty darn good this year, but is there talent in the farm system that could make the lineup even better? Image courtesy of © Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports The Brewers have an OPS of .733, the ninth-best in MLB, but they still have weaknesses. Despite being in the top five teams for average and on-base percentage, the .400 slugging percentage is 13th in baseball. Even more concerning is the team’s struggle to hit left-handed pitching, posting a combined .683 OPS, worse than 21 other major league teams. Who are some young(-ish) minor leaguers that could add more pop and pizazz to this already gifted group of guys? OF Isaac Collins (Nashville Sounds) - .281/.396/.516 As a fellow short king, Collins has been balling in Triple-A this season. He’s been doing a little bit of everything for the Sounds, hitting for average, hitting for power, and even snagging the occasional bag. With 22 doubles, four triples, and ten home runs, it’s clear that he’s one of the better power hitters in the Brewers system this year. Equally as important is his proficiency against left-handed pitchers. As a switch hitter, he slashes; he’s posted a .962 OPS—.936 from the left side, 292/.362/.500 against them. He hits four-seam fastballs and cutters especially well, with an OPS of 1.000 and 1.387 against those respective pitches. He's alright against breaking balls and off-speed but has struggled the most against sinkers, particularly when it comes to getting hard contact. He's been great at drawing walks off the pitch, walking at an impressive 28.6% clip, but he's slugging just .200 against sinkers so far. The question is, who would he replace? He’s spent most of this season in left field, but it’s doubtful he’ll replace a red-hot Christian Yelich. He’s also taken some reps at center field and second base this year so that he could be slotted into one of those positions. Blake Perkins might be the more likely candidate to platoon out for Collins. The Brewers would end up trading off Perkins's great glove for a little more offense, especially since Perkins is posting just a .632 OPS against lefties. OF Brewer Hicklen (Nashville Sounds) - .284/.394/.568 Another candidate to call up from Triple-A is Hicklen, who profiles similarly to Collins. He’s got 13 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs in his 269 plate appearances in Triple-A this year, which is a great number for the 28-year-old. He’s also a baserunning threat, stealing 25 bases while being caught just three times. He hasn’t seen as much left-handed pitching as Isaac Collins this year, but 62 plate appearances is ample enough of a sample size to conclude that he’s, as a fellow Gen Z-er might say, “pretty dece.” He’s slashing .200/.258/.455, so not hitting the ball a ton but hitting it hard. He hits four-seam fastballs well but makes his bread against breaking pitches. His OPS against sliders, sweepers, and curveballs is a mind-blowing 1.321 over 68 plate appearances. The pitches he struggles with the most are the sinker (.653 OPS) and changeup (.602 OPS). Like Collins, he's got a decent on-base percentage against the sinker, but his ISO of just .073 indicates that he isn't getting a lot of quality contact against the pitch. He's just plain subpar against the changeup, averaging .167 and slugging .292 over 29 plate appearances. Most of his season and career have been spent in the corner outfield, specifically in right field this year. This helps his case since Jackson Chourio, despite his resurgence this past month, has suffered against left-handed pitching, posting just a .534 OPS. By itself, Hicklen’s .713 OPS against lefties doesn’t jump off the page, but it’s a big improvement over what Chourio has been able to offer so far. View full article

The metronomically consistent Brewers technically had their best month of the year in June, going 16-11. Who helped drive the offense the most? Despite having their highest winning percentage of any month in the season so far, the Brewers offense began to sputter in June. The team posted a .677 OPS, down from their .753 OPS in May. The team had far fewer extra-base hits, but with a couple of home runs at the right times, they managed to escape with the win time and time again. Honorable Mentions Jake Bauers 50 PA, .268/.400/.439, 11 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, 9 BB, 12 K, 1 SB Bauers has slowly but surely been ceding more of his playing time to Rhys Hoskins and Blake Perkins, but has been effective when trotted out. Often brought on as a pinch-hitter (and sometimes an outfielder and pinch runner), he’s been getting on base when needed and scoring runs. He had a fraction of the plate appearances of his more full-time teammates, but he had the second-highest OPS on the team for the month. Oh, he also hit a grand slam against the Rangers, so there’s that. Brice Turang 117 PA, .280/.342/.421, 30 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 16 R, 16 RBI, 10 BB, 23 K, 9 SB With William Contreras slowing down significantly of late, Brice Turang is now the runaway rWAR leader on the 2024 Brewers. His mark of 3.8 is the result of his stellar defense (carried over from last year), combined with a 117 OPS+. Elly De La Cruz may have “run away” with the stolen base lead, but Turang's 28 bags are still the second-most in MLB. Oh, he also hit a grand slam against the Padres, so there’s that. Oh, he also hit a grand slam against the Cubs, so there’s that too. Christian Yelich 115 PA, .317/.391/.396, 32 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 13 R, 9 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K, 1 HBP, 10 SB Outside of his two MVP-caliber years in 2018 and 2019, Yelich is having the best offensive year of his career. His .885 OPS and 149 OPS+ for the season are incredible marks, but he may be slowing down. Although he hit for a high average, his lack of extra-base hits has limited his cumulative offensive output. Nonetheless, he’s still the best qualified hitter on the team so far. Hitter of the Month - Jackson Chourio 80 PA, .315/.362/.534, 23 H, 4 2B, 4 HR, 14 R, 16 RBI, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 SB It’s finally happening. Jackson Chourio, the centerpiece of this team's bright future, is evolving. Like a Charmeleon reaching level 36, he’s developing new moves, abilities, and types. We don’t know if these new adjustments will stick around for the rest of the season, but going from a .542 OPS in May to an .897 OPS in June doesn’t just happen by accident. With more hits, more home runs, more walks, and far fewer strikeouts, it’s incredible to see just how much he has already improved in his three short months in the big leagues. In addition to his two inside-the-park home runs, he also hit a grand slam, so there’s that. Did we pick this right? Who wasn't mentioned here but deserves more love for their June performances? Let us know below. View full article

Brewers' prospects continued to dazzle at all levels this past month, with a young infielder leading the way. Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Honorable Mentions C Darrien Miller (Biloxi Shuckers) 79 PA, .283/.456/.400, 17 H, 4 2 B, 1 HR, 10 R, 9 RBI, 10 BB, 12 K, 9 HBP, 1 SB Darrien Miller was a ninth-round draft pick selected in 2019 from Clovis (CA) High School. Now at 23 years old, he’s in his first year at Double-A and has been holding his own, hitting a .748 OPS over 220 plate appearances. He hasn’t yet found the power in his swing this year, but he managed to hit his first home run in the last few days of June. Despite lacking juice in his bat, his on-base percentage this month was impressive, receiving a huge bump from getting hit by nine pitches. But hey, getting on base is getting on base, right? Surely, this is replicable in the higher levels of baseball. SS Cooper Pratt (Carolina Mudcats) 93 PA, .376/.419/.459, 32 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 14 R, 11 RBI, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HBP, 6 SB Since being drafted in the sixth round of 2023 out of Magnolia Heights (MS) High School, Pratt has been great, posting an OPS >.800 in both 2023 and 2024, at least so far. After a strong May, he had an even better June, highlighted by an impressive .376 batting average. To cap things off, he jumped into the MLB Top 100 Prospects list to snag the #96 spot, making him the fourth Milwaukee prospect to be ranked that high. 2B/OF Isaac Collins (Nashville Sounds) 96 PA, .296/.396/.543, 24 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 13 R, 19 RBI, 10 BB, 20 K, 4 HBP, 9 SB One of the older prospects on the list, Isaac Collins, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the ninth round out of Creighton University. After a lukewarm 2022 in Double-A, he came to the Brewers in the Rule 5 draft and spent most of his 2023 with the Biloxi Shuckers, posting an .855 OPS over 376 plate appearances. He’s been even better this year in Triple-A, hitting to a .912 OPS after 303 plate appearances. His June wasn’t quite as hot as his scoring in April, but it was a big improvement over the regression he saw in May. Minor League Hitter of the Month: 2B/SS Jadher Areinamo 108 PA, .358/.435/.516, 34 H, 6 2B, 3 HR, 17 R, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 10 K, 1 HBP, 6 SB Signed out of Maracay, Venezuela, as a foreign free agent in 2021, Areinamo swung a great bat in June, taking a big step forward from the uninspiring months of April and May. Nine extra-base hits boosted his slugging, and walking more than he struck out had a similar impact on his on-base percentage. He’s a scrappy player, and despite being graded as having slightly below-average speed, his smart baserunning has allowed him to remain a threat, as he has already accumulated 25 stolen bases this season. Congratulations to each of these players mentioned today for a great month of June. Do you agree with the choice of Jadher Arienamo as the winner this month? View full article

I wonder what the original reason was for moving him around on the mound. Also ridiculous to think how big of an impact such a small change can have. That's baseball for you, I guess. Love Milwaukee's ability to get the best out of their pitching staff, can't wait to see what they do with Civale.

What is Jackson Chourio doing differently in his best offensive month so far in the major leagues? Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Jackson Chourio still has quite a few kinks to iron out in his approach. At just twenty years old, the general expectation was that his development was incomplete but would benefit from major league reps. So far, that belief has proven to be pretty spot on. His .231/.277/.358 slash line for this year isn’t anything to write home about, and he’s the worst-qualified hitter on the team by OPS+ (77, where 100 is average). But something has started to “brew,” one might say, as his offensive output in June took a big step forward. After a .608 OPS in April/March and a .542 OPS in May, he’s been able to put together a .840 OPS in June over 69 plate appearances. His slash line for the month of .302/.348/.492 is a massive improvement, but how did he get there? His biggest challenge since getting called up has been hitting big-league fastballs. He’s averaging just .196 against four-seamers with a 32.3% strikeout rate, poor numbers against the most popular pitch in baseball. In June, however, his average has shot up to a whopping .353 with a lower 20.0% strikeout rate and a 15.0% walk rate. What seems to be a major reason behind this change in performance is his higher swing rate at pitches in the zone. Here is his swing rate at four-seam fastballs from the start of the season to May 31. As you can see, he swings at most high strikes, but he loses a lot of opportunities in the middle and lower thirds of the strike zone. This matches up with his batting average heat map against those same pitches. If we adjust the date range for these same two graphics to contain data only for June, we see that Chourio has turned up the aggression, taking more advantage of those juicy chances in the middle of the zone. He’s still having some issues with low fastballs, but overall, swinging more to put the ball in play has benefited him against heaters. In addition to swinging and making more contact, he’s making better quality contact. In the first two months of the season, Chourio had a line drive rate of just 17.4%; in June, it shot up to 46.2%. This makes sense, given that he hasn’t been hitting for much power but has been placing it where he needs to to get on base and move runners along. In addition to his improved hitting against the four-seam fastball, Chourio’s greatest prospect tool, his speed, has come in handy more than a handful of times. Not only has it aided his defense, but it’s also paid dividends at the plate. Against the Angels on June 18th, he hit a ball down the right-field line for what should’ve been, at most, a standard double. However, as if somehow suffering from a controller disconnection, Jo Adell kicked the ball deeper into the right field corner, allowing Chourio to stretch a batted ball with an 82.4 mph exit velocity and -5 degree launch angle into an apparent home run (ruled a double/error by the official scorer). This created three runs for the Brewers. Against the Rangers on June 26, he turned a soft blooper into an inside-the-park home run after the ball got past the glove of center-fielder Derek Hill. Now, if I had a nickel for every time Jackson Chourio hit a little league home run this month, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but weirdly, it happened twice. Could these two events have inflated his OPS numbers for the month? Maybe, but 1) it doesn’t change the fact that he’s still hitting for a higher average in general, and 2) utilizing his speed to stretch singles into doubles and outfield errors into home runs is a totally fair way to play baseball. Speedsters like Elly De La Cruz and Bobby Witt Jr. are known to use their speed to their advantage when running the bases, even when they aren’t stealing, so why can’t Chourio? As a guy with 96th percentile sprint speed, it’s a great tool to supplement a potential lack of power, at least for now. If he can continue this trend of adapting to major-league pitching and making necessary adjustments to get ahead of the curve (see what I did there), the sky’s the limit for the young outfield phenom. His defense and baserunning are already way above average; now it’s time to see what he can do with that big ol’ bat of his. View full article

The Brewers have a firm grip on the National League Central, but injuries keep thinning their pitching staff. What talent already in the Milwaukee farm system can the team use to maximize their chances of postseason success? Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports There are two main ways for a team to make roster improvements in the second half. One way is to be buyers at the trade deadline and give up a part of the future to try and win now. In a very minimalist way, the Crew did that on Tuesday, when they traded for veteran southpaw Dallas Keuchel. The other way is our focus today: they can call up a young name and hope for fireworks. The Brewers have an excellent collection of prospects, which bodes well for either option, but assuming they aren’t able to cook up a deal bigger than Keuchel's arrival in the short term, who could they promote from within? RHP Chad Patrick Chandler “Chad” Patrick was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, out of Purdue University. He’s been climbing the minor-league ranks at a consistent pace ever since, spending all of 2024 with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds as a starting pitcher. This year, he's thrown 71 ⅔ innings, with a nifty 2.76 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. He has a five-pitch arsenal, consisting of a four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker, slider, and changeup. His primary weapon has been the cutter, throwing it 46.6% of the time with a strikeout rate of 32.7% and a .172 batting average against it this year. The pitch sits in the upper 80s, so it’s not flying by batters with the steam of Corbin Burnes's cut piece, but he’s still got gas--in the form of a mid-90s four-seam fastball that has been known to touch 96 when he’s had his Wheaties in the morning. As his only true breaking pitch, his slider has yet to concede an earned run, striking out opposing hitters 30% of the time and generating a measly .311 OPS. One of his main weaknesses comes as a downside of his aggressive approach, especially on his four-seamer. Although batters are averaging just .158 against the pitch, they’re hitting home runs at a 4.6% clip. Furthermore, he’s walking batters at a 11.5% rate, overall. Patrick could be a good option to bolster the already ravaged major-league rotation. The team already called up Carlos Rodriguez, with pretty disappointing results, but there are reasons to believe Patrick is more prepared for major-league hitters. He’s been quite successful in Triple-A recently, and is averaging just under six innings per outing, so he’s got the longevity part of things down. He may not have the same pedigree as some other options, but the numbers and film don’t lie. RHP Jacob Misiorowski I have a feeling that if I didn’t list Misiorowski as a potential option, I would have received quite a few messages from fist-shaking Brewers fans. The 22-year-old phenom has been the talk of the town, and as the #1 prospect in Milwaukee’s system and the #21 prospect in baseball, he deserves it. Misiorowski has spent his 2024 season with the Biloxi Shuckers in Double-A, and has accumulated a 3.44 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 52 ⅓ innings in 13 starts. There’s definitely some work to be done, especially when it comes to limiting traffic on the basepaths, but let’s not get it twisted: he’s a top prospect for a reason. He’s still a strikeout king, punching out opposing batters at a 29.0% clip. His 70-grade fastball only seems to be getting better, with his velocity starting to touch the triple digits. The raw stuff for which he’s known is still great and is a big reason for his success. The biggest problem continues to be command. His walk rate is a brutal 14.3%, a major driver behind his somewhat high WHIP. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is the lowest that it has been in any of his minor-league seasons. That being said, his walk rate for the month of June is just 6.3% compared to the 18.8% we saw in May. The price he's paid has been more hard contact against him. Despite the big improvement in walk rate, his ERA for the month swelled from 1.71 in May to 4.34 in June. So what does Misiorowski bring to the table? His raw talent and his ceiling make him a wild card. There once was a young man by the name of Corbin Burnes who began 2018 in Triple-A with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. After 78 ⅔ innings, he had a 5.15 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. What did the Brewers do after seeing these sus numbers? They promoted him to the major-league bullpen that same year, and he was great. The rest is history. Could Misiorowski follow a similar path? Assuming he gets brought up to the bullpen, rather than the rotation, he could very well end up in a long relief role, a position last held by Bryse Wilson. With the added reliever workload likely to start rearing its ugly head more and more as the season drags on, his stamina could be an invaluable asset to the team. Furthermore, additional major-league experience could jumpstart his increasingly bright future. Internal reinforcement has made possible all of the Brewers' recent success, including five playoff appearances in six seasons. The team will need more of that this year, to patch the many holes that keep appearing in one of the league's most effective run-prevention units. It'll be interesting to see who gets the next call, and for which role. View full article

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It’s seeming pretty clear that Milwaukee will buy at the deadline. If they aren't able to snag more starting pitching, could they compensate with some shiny bullpen arms? Upon reading the title, a discerning fan or typically judicious Facebook reader might remark, “Hey, isn’t our bullpen already pretty darn good? In fact, aren’t they fourth in MLB by team ERA with a mark of 3.20? Shouldn’t we go out and get starters instead?” While the number is undeniably correct, at least at the time of this article, the Brewers bullpen situation is a little more nuanced than usual. The first thing to do is to acknowledge how grim the starting pitching injury situation is. With Robert Gasser placed on the 15-day IL, the team was forced to call up Carlos F Rodriguez despite not having things figured out in Triple-A yet. When starters like DL Hall and Joe Ross eventually return to the rotation, it will take time to ramp up their stamina and re-acclimate to major-league hitting, so they might not be effective right out of the gate. This feeds into the second point, which is the bullpen workload. Brewers relievers have pitched 298 ⅓ innings, the most in baseball. They’ve faced 1,230 batters (third in baseball) but have been reasonably efficient, throwing just 4,641 pitches (seventh in baseball). While the starters continue to ramp back up to 100%, the relievers will probably still carry a significant portion of responsibility. Third, having a good bullpen is fun, but isn’t having a great bullpen even more fun? Of course, it is. Milwaukee needs every advantage it can get, especially with the team’s past four postseason runs ending in the first round. Should starting pitching be the #1 concern for the team when it comes to trade talks this summer? 100%, but what happens if they can’t get the starting pitching help they need? What if the White Sox aren't willing to give up Garrett Crochet for anything less than part-ownership of Bernie Brewer's slide? Surely it’d be better to do something than nothing, especially if it won’t break the bank (er, farm?). So now that we’ve established that there's at least some merit to entertaining this side of trade talks, which relievers are both worth pursuing and on teams that are likely to sell them off? Declan Cronin, RHP, Miami Marlins Much of the trade talks with the Marlins have surrounded lefty closer Tanner Scott. He’s caused quite a bit of ruckus, and it seems like there are more than several suitors clamoring for his services. Because of the strong demand, it would make sense for it to be a seller’s market, and the Marlins will likely set a price that will be reasonable for teams desperate for bullpen help but a bit too steep for the Brewers. For this reason, I’ve turned my attention to his younger, less bald teammate, Declan Cronin. Declan Cronin had a terrible debut year with the White Sox but has maintained his rookie status for this year, and so far, his 2024 has been much better than his 2023. He’s pitching to a 2.65 ERA over 34 innings and has been the king of soft contact. He only does two things well: limit barrel rates and induce ground balls. His barrel rate of 3.2% and ground-ball rate of 60.6% are better than 95% of qualified pitchers this season. Interestingly enough, opposing batters are hitting the ball pretty dang hard, averaging an exit velocity of 90.8 mph, but their launch angle is less than optimal 0.7 degrees. So, how does he prevent hitters from getting under the ball? It's a deadly slider/sinker combination. His slider is his primary weapon, and he has been great at attacking batters' knees, but in the right spot. It’s not gross enough to generate incomprehensible whiff/strikeout rates, and I would hardly call it “wipeout,” but that’s sort of its beauty. It’s just tempting enough to get a swing, albeit one that spikes a ball straight into the dirt. The slider has a strikeout rate of 27.8%, but opposing batters are only managing to slug .253 against it. His sinker has a similar M.O., choosing to move arm-side instead of downward. Against lefties, he’ll aim for the tip of the barrel. Against righties, he’ll aim for the hands. With the defense the Brewers have played this year, he might make a perfect fit. One snag that might come up is how much team control he has left on his contract, not even hitting arbitration until 2027. On the other hand, the Marlins have plenty of pitching talent, with their top three prospects all pitchers. They’ll need to rebuild the whole team, and their hitting needs far exceed their need for a righty reliever, so it wouldn’t be out of the question that Cronin would be traded for a reasonable price despite his rookie status. Jason Foley, RHP, Detroit Tigers While Detroit's offense continues to be remarkably bad, their pitching staff has been excellent. Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty have been great for their rotation and aside from a few names, their bullpen isn't actually half bad. Leading the effort is their loyal closer, Jason Foley (great first name by the way), who is currently pitching to a 2.81 ERA over 25 ⅔ innings with 12 saves. This gives him an ERA+ of 149, the second-highest on the team behind the aforementioned Tarik Skubal. He profiles somewhat similarly to Declan Cronin, depending on low launch angles to achieve his 53.8% ground ball rate. He's even got a similar arsenal, relying on his sinker 60.3% of the time and his slider 29.6% of the time. Interestingly enough, his sinker is actually somewhat ineffective, with batters averaging .317 against it. His slider, on the other hand, has been nigh untouchable, boasting a opposing batting average of just .083 across 26 plate appearances. In addition to excelling at generating ground balls, it's been known to fan batters 26.9% of the time. Despite the strong ERA, there are two major concerns with his candidacy as a trade target. First, his sinker is truly uncompetitive in its current state. On the bright side, of the 20 hits that have been recorded against it, 17 of them were singles. Furthermore, it's responsible for the majority of his infield groundouts. With some help, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to turn things around in the second half of the season. Also, the pitch does still have its moments, although they're somewhat rare. Second, he's got a few years of team control left on his contract, reaching free agency in 2028. While he's a great asset to have around, the Tigers are likely more concerned about their offensive future. Their combined team ERA of 3.82 is tenth in MLB while their team OPS of .671 is 24th in MLB. Additionally, six of their top ten prospects are RHP, five of which are in Triple-A or above. Foley is great, but he might be even greater for the Tigers as a trade asset to build an actually competitive lineup. Bryan Abreu RHP, Houston Astros This might be a hot take, but like onions and ogres, there are layers to it. Despite all their merits, Milwaukee’s bullpen struggles with getting strikeouts. Their SO/9 rate of 8.27 is 24th in MLB, so it wouldn’t hurt to get some more punch-out power on the team. Bryan Abreu has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the past three years, averaging a 2.04 ERA over 167 ⅔ innings pitched. This year is his worst in a while, pitching to a below-career average 2.80 ERA over 35 ⅓ innings. Still, his ability to beat opposing batters is still on par with some of the best. His whiff rate of 32.1% and strikeout rate of 32.9% are both in the top decile. There’s honestly much to explain with his pitching style. He throws an 85.9 mph slider and a 96.5 mph four-seam fastball. To be fair, both pitches are quite squalid when they’re at their best, especially his slider, against which batters are averaging just .194 and slugging just .258 while whiffing 40.2% of the time. Sometimes, he gets a little jazzed up and gasses his fastball up to 99 mph. So, if his pitching isn’t complex, what’s the second layer? Well to start, it’s not super clear as to how the Astros will approach the deadline. They’re nine games behind the division-leading Mariners in the AL West and seven games back from a Wild Card spot. Furthermore, their farm system is one of the weakest in baseball after trading some of their best names to the Mets to get Kate Upton’s husband last year, so they need to rebuild. Will they try to go for an eighth consecutive ALCS appearance? Maybe, but if they decide to look past the present and towards the future, the Brewers could use someone with the talents of Bryan Abreu. He'll be a free agent in 2027, so the few years of team control might make it tricky, but with Tayler Scott and Seth Martinez pitching even better out of the Astros bullpen this year, it's not like the team would be without replacements. View full article

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Look, the Angels are bad. With no help on the horizon, they could turn to the Brewers to bolster their farm system, and the Brewers could try to round out an October-ready roster. Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports There are few teams in baseball looking as dismal as the Angels. In a final, desperate bid to increase their chances of extending Shohei Ohtani, they bet it all on their 2023 season, selling off their entire farm system to acquire bits and pieces of major-league talent at the trade deadline. This resulted in a tragic 28-43 second-half record and a wide miss on a playoff berth. In 2024, the situation is somehow worse. Shohei Ohtani has been raking for the team’s cross-town rival, Mike Trout is on the injured list after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and they are already 11.5 games back in the division and 9.5 games from a Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives them just a 0.6% chance to make the playoffs, and that feels a little high. To make matters even worse, since they traded their top prospects last year, their farm system is arguably the worst in baseball. With Nolan Schanuel’s graduation, they have no prospects in the top 100. Long story short: they’re cooked, at the very least for the next few years. However, this means they’ll more than likely be sellers at the trade deadline, so what can the Brewers get from them--and what might they have to surrender in return? Tyler Anderson Currently leading the team in rWAR with an impressive 3.3, Anderson is having a great bounce-back season after an abysmal 2023. His current ERA of 2.63 and WHIP of 1.15 are significantly better than the 5.43 and 1.49 numbers he posted last year. An intriguing lefty, he’s a crafty contact pitcher who somehow manages to get by with a fastball averaging 89.2 mph. His changeup is arguably his best pitch, boasting a strikeout rate of 23.5% and a whiff rate of 36.8%. His cutter is a close second, though, and despite it averaging an unimpressive 83.8 mph, batters are averaging just .176 against it. Anderson could be a great Band-Aid solution for the team’s current starting pitcher injury pandemic. With Wade Miley out for the season, Robert Gasser trending the same way, and DL Hall still without a clear timetable to return, the Brewers could use a lefty starter, especially one with the experience of Anderson. Furthermore, his pitch-to-contact style synergizes well with Milwaukee’s specialty: defense. For Anderson, specifically, his 32.0% fly-ball rate is 8.1% higher than the MLB average, which should go well with the Brewers outfield. They lead MLB in OAA (24) by outfielders. One consideration to keep in mind is his contract. Anderson signed for $39 million over three years prior to 2023, so he'll be on an eight-figure salary for 2025. It’s a hefty salary to pay (for Milwaukee, at least), and that could make clearing the acquisition with ownership tricky. He’s having a great season this year, and could help with a deep postseason run, but what about next year? With Brandon Woodruff returning and prospects like Gasser and Jacob Misiorowski potentially becoming big-league mainstays, will Anderson be needed beyond 2024? It's hard to say. José Soriano Another starter option, he's got a 3.64 ERA and a WHIP of 1.21 over 64 ⅓ innings. He profiles similarly to Tyler Anderson in some ways, and immensely differently in others. Like Anderson, he has a below-average strikeout rate and relies on soft contact. However, instead of fly balls, his ground-ball rate of 60.3% is in the 96th percentile of qualified pitchers. Also unlike Anderson, Soriano has excellent fastball velocity, averaging 97.7 mph on his sinker and 98.9 mph on his four-seam fastball. His sinker has been especially good at limiting hard contact, with opposing batters slugging just .277 against the pitch. Soriano would be a longer-term option for the Brewers, as he’s got a total of just 106 ⅓ major league innings under his belt. He could become arbitration-eligible after this season or after next, depending on where the cutoff for Super Two status lands, and will be a free agent after 2028. Milwaukee would have multiple years of team control with him, but that may also make the Angels more hesitant to part with him. They may be expecting him to hold down the rotation for the remainder of the decade, and without a ton of other young options, he might be off-limits. Luis Rengifo Offensively, it’s hard to see how a team with the sixth-best OPS in MLB (.738) can get better, especially with how well-rounded Milwaukee is. While that may be the case now, this could be an opportunity to look at the medium-term future. Most fans doubt that Willy Adames will choose to stay once he hits free agency. As a result, the team will need to replace him. Luckily, rookie shortstop Joey Ortiz has made an excellent case to take over. He’s been primarily playing third base this year, but that’s a roster construction thing, not personal player preference. In the minors, Ortiz had nearly 2,100 innings at shortstop, 1,700 more than at any other position. Assuming Ortiz moves to shortstop and Brice Turang holds down second, then, Rengifo could be a great hot-corner option. His hitting has gradually improved over his past three seasons, and he’s currently slashing .316/.367/.448 with nine doubles and four home runs. He’s great at avoiding strikeouts (14.3%) and has been crushing four-seam fastballs this year, averaging .429 against them. Sure, he’s a fringy defender and doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, but no one’s perfect, and the Brewers thrive on small ball, anyway. Rengifo is currently on a one-year, $4.4 million contract, with free agency approaching after next season, so he may be another short- or medium-term rental for the team, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be too expensive. What can Milwaukee offer? The Crew has one of the best farm systems in baseball, boasting three top-100 prospects: No. 22 Jacob Misiorowski, No. 24 Jeferson Quero, and No. 34 Tyler Black. Because the Angels are so far from any serious contention, it may take them a few years to rebuild, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they had their eyes on younger prospects over those that are just a year or two out. Obviously, the return package would depend on whom the front office ends up pursuing, but a few of the team’s great outfield prospects in the lower levels of the minors would make sense. Luis Lara (No. 7-ranked Brewers prospect, 2026 ETA), Yophery Rodriguez (No. 9, 2027 ETA), or even Pedro Ibarguen (No. 27, 2028 ETA) could be enticing pieces that wouldn’t be too damaging to Milwaukee, since they have a plethora of outfield talent in the big leagues who will be around for several more years. If the Angels want help in the shorter term, there’s a bit of corner infield saturation, with names like Mike Boeve and Luke Adams covering the same bases, and they’re both estimated to debut in 2026, which could be a reasonable timeline to build a more competitive team around them. At this point, watching Angels baseball is like watching the last season of The Office. It’s pretty disappointing overall but there are still a few names that may catch your interest--and potentially Matt Arnold’s. View full article