Michael Trzinski

It would be nice if ANY injured player with a big contract did that...

DRS of -1 in 270 innings? Not too good...lol

I had Peralta at first, but overall, Yo has (so far) had a better career. If we do this next year, Peralta probably gets the nod.

Nelson just missed. I always liked him, but in looking at the overall body of work, he was just a bit outside. BTW, nobody ever thought I was in my right mind. I'm not a lefty...lol.

Just goes to show you how the little adjustments can make a world of difference. Hopefully he can keep it up!

The way things are going, what would it really hurt to give some 'kids' a chance? If they are truly overmatched, send them back down to get more Triple-A or Double-A reps. Who knows? Boeve or Wilken might turn out to be a good surprise. Same with Mizzy...if you need a pitcher, give him a shot.

Image courtesy of Stephen Dunn/Allsports Just three short months ago, the Milwaukee Brewers' brain trust was gnashing their collective teeth, tossing and turning in their beds, awake in the early morning hours, trying to find an answer to a ‘simple’ question. Who is going to play third base for us this year? After shortstop Willy Adames found 182 million reasons to flee Brew City and head west to the City by the Bay, Matt Arnold and company worked endlessly to staff the left side of the Milwaukee infield. Shortstop (more or less) was settled early, as former third baseman Joey Ortiz was moved 40 feet away from the position he played well in 2024. That left third base to be filled. Even though there was tons of hope that the situation would resolve itself, that has not been the case. Ortiz has struggled at the ‘6’, posting -4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) through his first 46 games. He’s not doing much better at the dish, batting .170/.233/.218 with just one homer and four doubles this year. It’s even worse at third base, though. So far, six players have scuffed the dirt at the position: Caleb Durbin, Vinny Capra, Oliver Dunn, Andruw Monasterio, Sal Frelick, and Isaac Collins. After failures by Dunn and Capra, Durbin has stepped up and done okay in the field, posting a +1 DRS. It is a different story at the plate, as the rookie is slashing .174/.273/.244 across 100 plate appearances. Fear not, Brewer fans. We’ve seen this problem in the past. In fact, since Jeff Cirillo was traded to the Colorado Rockies just before Christmas 1999, there have been more than a few auditions for the third base part. Eighty-eight players have played at least one game at third since the final season at County Stadium. Players like Chris Barnwell (2006), César Izturis (2012), Edwin Maysonet (2012), Irving Falu (2014), Colin Walsh (2016), and Nate Orf (2018) were all trotted out to see if any of them wanted to take a regular role, but unfortunately, none of them did. (By the way, 50 points if you've ever heard of any of these guys.) Bill Hall played six positions in his tenure (2002-09) with the Brewers, but the 263 games at the hot corner were more than he played elsewhere. Craig Counsell also spent time at third, playing over 150 games in his six seasons in Milwaukee. The Brewers signed Aramis Ramírez as a free agent before the 2012 season, and he played well in his three and a half seasons with Milwaukee, playing in 455 games despite missing half of 2013 with a knee injury. Ramírez led the NL with 50 doubles in 2012 and was an All-Star in 2014. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2015. Next up was Travis Shaw. He hit 63 homers in 2017 and 2018, before struggling badly in 2019—spending half the season in the minors—and being non-tendered after the season. Mike Moustakas split time with Shaw in 2019 and earned an All-Star nod, slashing .254/.329/.516 with 35 longballs. He left after the season as a free agent. Between 2021-2023, no player started more than 58 games in a single season. Ortiz started 124 games in 2024, giving some semblance of stability at a position that had anything but for most of the previous 25 years. Think of how good Brewers fans had it ‘back in the day.’ From the late 1970s until the early '90s, players like Don Money, Sal Bando, and Paul Molitor manned the position on an almost daily basis. However, fans also had to tolerate the temper tantrums of Gary Sheffield for two seasons, pouting his way through the years because he was moved from his shortstop spot in favor of Billy Spiers. Jim Gantner, Kevin Seitzer, and B.J. Surhoff all played huge chunks of time at the spot before Cirillo made it his for four solid years in the late 1990s. But that was a long time ago. Now we are waiting patiently for someone (like Mike Boeve, or Brock Wilken?) to come up and make a splash—to take over the third base spot for the next 10 years. We can only hope. View full article

This year is the 25th anniversary of play at Miller Park/Am Fam Field and the Brewers are going to celebrate that milestone this summer, including a special day at the ballpark on Friday, July 25. Several players from each of the last 25 seasons will be at the ballyard in late July, signing autographs, working at concession stands, and working the cash registers at retail stores inside the stadium. To help celebrate, Brewer Fanatic is presenting its All-Time Miller Park/Am Fam Field pitching staff and position player roster. Without further ado, here is Part Two of a three-part series, featuring the eight-man bullpen staff, based on Brewer stats only from 2001-2025. It would be really easy to just throw the eight top closers on this team, but can you imagine the chaos with eight high-leverage guys in the pen, all vying to throw in only the eighth and ninth innings? The first four pitchers listed will be the ‘spot starter/long relief/middle relief’ guys. Each of these players had at least one 10-save season as a Brewer (except for Will Smith), but were all used in a variety of roles by the Brewers. Jeremy Jeffress (2010, 2014-16, 2017-19) GR – 300, Sv – 43, ERA – 2.66, WAR – 7.3, ERA+ - 157, FIP – 3.25 ‘Jay-Jay’ had three separate stints with Milwaukee adding up to seven campaigns in Brew City. All but one of those years resulted in an ERA+ of more than 122, including a high of 317 in his only All-Star year of 2018. Jeffress had a career-high of 27 saves in 2016 before being traded to Texas in early August. The right hander ranks fifth overall on the all-time Brewers list by appearing in 301 games as a Brewer. Check out the rocket back to the box in this video: Tyler Thornburg (2012-16) GR – 134, Sv – 13, ERA – 2.87, WAR – 4.1, ERA+ - 141, FIP – 3.83 ‘Thorny’ split time between the minors and Milwaukee in three of his five seasons as a Brewer. Oddly enough, Thornburg was used solely as a starter in Nashville, Huntsville, and Colorado Springs, making 53 starts and zero relief appearances. As a Brewer, Thornburg started 10 games in 144 appearances. Although never a star, the righty was a solid part of the Brewer bullpen, posting two seasons of better than a 190 ERA+, including a high of 199 in 2016. He notched a career-high of 13 games in 67 appearances that year. Will Smith (2014-16) GR – 181, Sv – 1, ERA – 3.28, WAR – 1.0, ERA+ - 120, FIP – 3.08 One of the two lefties in the bullpen crew, ‘Smitty’ led the National League with 78 appearances in 2014 and followed that up the next year with 76 games pitched, along with his Brewer best of an ERA+ of 1.47 and an outstanding 2.47 FIP. Those two seasons rank in the top 10 of single season Brewers games pitched list. Corey Knebel (2015-18, 2020) GR – 231, Sv – 57, ERA – 3.20, WAR – 4.5, ERA+ - 132, FIP – 3.37 The man known as ‘Bird Dog’ filled many roles as a Brewer, including closer during his best season in 2017 when he made the NL All-Star team, led the league with 76 appearances, and saved 39 games, tied for third best in the league. Knebel also posted career bests with a 248 ERA+ and a FIP of 2.53. 10K views · 599 reactions | Sophia with Corey Knebel | Corey Knebel... WWW.FACEBOOK.COM Corey Knebel thanks Milwaukee Brewers fans after a 4-3 win over the Reds! View full article

This year is the 25th anniversary of play at Miller Park/Am Fam Field and the Brewers are going to celebrate that milestone this summer, including a special day at the ballpark on Friday, July 25. Several players from each of the last 25 seasons will be at the ballyard in late July, signing autographs, working at concession stands, and working the cash registers at retail stores inside the stadium. To help celebrate, Brewer Fanatic is presenting its All-Time Miller Park/Am Fam Field pitching staff and position player roster. Without further ado, here is Part One of a three-part series, starting with the All-Time Brewers five-man rotation, based on Brewer stats only from 2001-2025. STARTING ROTATION Ben Sheets (2001-08) GS – 221, W – 86, ERA – 3.72, WAR – 25.6, ERA+ - 115, FIP – 3.56 A member of the gold medal winning 2000 USA Olympic team, Sheets made his debut the same year Miller Park opened. The right-hander pitched one of the finest games in Brewers history on May 16, 2004, when he beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 while allowing only three hits, one walk, and one run while striking out 18 batters, still a Milwaukee record. Sheets had nine games with 10+ punchouts during the year and his 264 strikeouts set a single season Milwaukee record. Sheets ranks in the top five in Brewer history in WAR, innings pitched, strikeouts, and games started. CC Sabathia (2008) GS – 17, W – 11, ERA – 1.65, WAR – 4.9, ERA+ - 255, FIP – 2.44 The big lefthander played in Milwaukee for part of only one year, but ah, what a magical season! He was acquired in an early July trade with Cleveland for Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, Matt LaPorta, and Michael Brantley, but he was worth every penny for the three months he spent in Brew City. Of his 17 starts with the Brewers, Sabathia completed seven of them, including three shutouts. On August 31, he was *this* close to a no-hitter when official scorer Bob Webb ruled that a nubber in front of the plate--bobbled by Sabathia--was a base hit in Pittsburgh. Sabathia went on to earn his ninth straight win as a Brewer with a one-hit shutout, along with 11 strikeouts. Sabathia struggled slightly in three of his six September starts, but beat the Chicago Cubs on the final day of the season. The postseason was a different story. Sabathia had pitched a career-high 253 innings during the season and it showed when he got battered by the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 in Game Two of the NLDS, which the Brewers ended up losing in four games. Brandon Woodruff (2017-23) GS – 115, W – 46, ERA – 3.10, WAR – 16.7, ERA+ - 137, FIP – 3.19 Woodruff has been on the shelf since September 2023 after undergoing major surgery to his right shoulder, but despite that fact he still makes the rotation as an All-Time Brewer. He is a two-time All-Star (2019, 2021) and also finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting in 2021. Woodruff also had a moment at the plate when he took Clayton Kershaw deep in Game One of the 2018 NLCS, which they eventually lost to the Dodgers in seven games. The burly redheaded right hander known as ‘Woody’ currently ranks first all-time for Milwaukee in ERA, WHIP (1.045), and ERA+. Corbin Burnes (2018-23) GS – 145, W – 62, ERA – 3.18, WAR – 13.6, ERA+ - 129, FIP – 3.11 Burnes began his Brewer career as a reliever and had one solid year and one that was pretty awful. He became a full-time starter during the Covid year of 2020 and became a Cy Young candidate each of his final four seasons with Milwaukee, including winning the award in 2021. The right-hander was also an All-Star from 2021-2023. Burnes ranks first for single-season marks with K/9 (12.6), ERA+ (170), and FIP (1.63). His career mark of a 3.11 FIP is first on the leaderboard, while he ranks in the top five in ERA, K/9, and ERA+. Yovani Gallardo (2007-14) GS – 211, W – 89, ERA – 3.69, WAR – 15.5, ERA+ - 109, FIP – 3.71 Gallardo posted impressive numbers during his eight seasons in Milwaukee but had little to show for it in terms of awards, as he was named to only one All-Star team (2010). He won a Silver Slugger award that same year, batting .254/.329/.508 with four homers, four doubles, and an OPS+ of 122. On the mound, the right hander had four seasons of 200+ strikeouts, a Brewer record. He also sits atop the career leaderboards with 1,226 strikeouts, and ranks fifth with 89 wins. HONORABLE MENTION-STARTING ROTATION Freddy Peralta (2018-25), Zack Greinke (2011-12), Doug Davis (2003-06, 2010), Mike Fiers (2011-15), Zach Davies (2015-19), Chase Anderson (2016-19). View full article

I am totally in awe of your analysis, along with all the work the young bucks do at BF. My coonskin off to you!!

I was thinking the same thing myself. If there is room in Milwaukee and if he really has nothing left to prove at Triple-A...bring him up!!

I didn't think Priester was that bad, but a handy-dandy 'quik chek' of the player's stats on B-R shows Myers better in ERA+ (110), FIP (.4.59), WHIP (1.53), and BB% (13.3). Priester is better in K%, 15.2 to 14.7, which is negligible. Give Myers another start or two to see how far the recovery process has come...

When Corbin Burnes was in his age-24 season, he had an ERA of 8.82 and an ERA+ of 51. Now he is a four-time All-Star and a Cy Young winner. Let Hall get off the 'DL' and give him a chance. As far as Ashby goes...point taken. I wouldn't say the worst contract ever--think Jeff Suppan--but let him get healthy and let's see what happens.

Maybe WC doesn't think he'll get paid if he takes time off...lol

That is true, too. Just hoping for the success of the Brando of old!!

You don't need to throw 99 to be dominant. Just ask Greg Maddux 😁

That was an awesome interview. I really like that kid!

Thanks for the kind words. I look forward to seeing more names on the list, as you alluded to.

True, we are a long way from the finish line. The main point of the story was that slow starts are more likely to lead to a poor season, but in two instances they ended up pretty good. Winning does solve problems, and I hope to see about 75 more wins this year.

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Okay, let’s face it. The Milwaukee Brewers haven’t been very good in games in enemy territory over the first month of this season. In fact, they have been downright pathetic. But, there is good news. Historical precedent tells us that the Brewers have a 33% chance of making the playoffs this season after their sad performances at Yankee Stadium, Chase Field, Oracle Park, and Busch Stadium. In the team’s first 19 away games, they won just seven of them. Over the last 14 seasons, only three Brewer teams have done worse: 2016 and 2013 (six wins), and 2011 (just five wins). I mentioned good news. In a relatively compressed history of Brewers baseball (my editor would prefer that I avoid using the phrase ‘small sample size’) since the 2010 season, in their first 19 games, the Brew Crew had six seasons in which they started out playing sub-.500 ball in early road contests. But, in two of those campaigns, the Brewers bounced back from sluggish road starts to get to the playoffs. In 2011, the Brewers finished the year with a 96-66 record and made it all the way to the NLCS, losing in six games to St. Louis. Eight years later, the Brewers ended at 89-73 and lost a disappointing Wild Card game to Washington in which Josh Hader surrendered three runs in the eighth inning in a 4-3 loss. The bad news component is that the Brewers also had three losing seasons after the crappy road start, going 73-89 in 2016, 68-94 in 2015, and 74-88 in 2013. Or, they could just finish with an ‘average’ mark like they did in 2012 when they went 83-79 and missed the postseason. So, there is a 67% chance that the Brewers won’t make the playoffs at all. Hey, I called it 'good news', not 'the best news you've ever heard'. In all six of those seasons, the Brewers had a negative run differential: Year RS RA Diff. 2019 77 87 -10 2016 76 104 -28 2015 64 82 -18 2013 66 86 -20 2012 67 92 -25 2011 59 85 -26 This season, the Brewers have scored 100 runs and have allowed 98 in their 7-12 start on the road. We know the team can score runs, but they also give up runs. I prefer to look at the ‘bright side’ when I say that the Brewers will continue to put runs on the board—except for the last two games—and, in time, with a healthy pitching staff, start to allow fewer runs. Joey Ortiz will perform better. Christian Yelich will perform better. That means more runs. Add to that a return of healthy pitchers such as Brandon Woodruff, the Aarons (Ashby, Civale) and the staff should allow fewer runs. And if top prospect Jacob Misiorowski comes to Milwaukee and gives the team a boost like Logan Henderson did in his first big-league start, that will improve the staff and create more excitement at Am Fam Field. That, my friends, is a whole lot of ‘ifs,’ but we as Brewer fans need to keep the faith and expect that our boys will be in the thick of things come September. It would help if they could win a few games outside of Wisconsin, though. View full article

For now, the list is going to be top-heavy with righties, as the organization only has four southpaws that made two or more starts during the first month of the season. The eight players listed are all righthanders. Honorable Mentions John Holobetz, Carolina Mudcats – 4 G, 3 GS, 18.2 IP, 3-0, 2.89 ERA, 1.69 FIP, 0.86 WHIP, 13 H, 3 BB, 26 K. Manuel Rodriguez, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – 5 G, 5 GS, 25.0 IP, 0-1, 1.80 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 20 H, 5 BB, 25 K. Logan Henderson, Nashville Sounds – 4 G, 4 GS, 20.0 IP, 3-1, 2.70 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 10 H, 11 BB, 29 K. TOP 5 STARTING PITCHERS FOR APRIL #5 – Tyson Hardin, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 4 G, 4 GS, 18.2 IP, 2-0, 0.96 ERA, 2.02 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, 14 H, 4 BB, 21 K. Hardin was selected by the Brewers in the 12th round of the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State, where he worked mostly as a reliever. He made two appearances last year at Low-A Carolina but moved up one level to the T-Rats this year. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Hardin made a positive impression on his employers, striking out three in two scoreless innings in the Spring Breakout Game in March. From Spencer Michaelis’ 2024 draft recap: A two-pitch pitcher, Hardin’s calling card is a mid-90s fastball with a ton of horizontal run, which he can run up to 97 MPH. Coming from his low arm slot, the fastball has a really interesting shape to it. His other pitch is a mid-80s slider that could use some improvement in its consistency. The 23-year-old started out his season on April 8 against the Quad Cities River Bandits and went five innings without allowing a hit. He walked one while striking out four in a 4-0 Timber Rattlers victory, earning his first win of the year. Five days later, Hardin pitched another dandy, allowing just four hits in four innings and whiffing five batters in a 5-1 win over the River Bandits. Hardin notched his second victory when he allowed four hits and one walk in 5.2 innings, striking out a season-high seven in a 2-0 win over the Lansing Lugnuts on April 19. In his fourth start on April 26, Hardin struggled a bit and left the game after four innings, trailing 2-1 against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The T-Rats battled back for a 4-2 victory. #4 – Carlos Rodriguez, Nashville Sounds – 5 G, 5 GS, 24.2 IP, 2-0, 1.09 ERA, 1.99 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 17 H, 8 BB, 33 K. Although a native of Nicaragua, Rodriguez was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida. Now in his fourth year in the organization, Rodriguez is one of several promising hurlers in the Brewers system. Currently ranked 18th on the Brewer Fanatic Top Prospects list, his scouting reports reads as follows: A true six-pitch pitcher, Rodriguez throws all three variations of fastballs (four-seam, sinker, and cutter). He also throws a changeup, curveball, and slider. None of them stand out as plus pitches, but all of them are average or better. Rodriguez helps his stuff play up by messing with the timing of hitters. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Rodriguez had five starts in April and excelled in three of them. On March 28, he earned his first win in a 7-1 win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. In five innings, he allowed three hits, one unearned run, and one walk while whiffing seven. Rodriguez got roughed up in his next outing, managing only four innings while giving up six hits, two runs, and a walk. He struck out four in the 10-2 contest that saw Jacob Misiorowski get the victory in relief over the Gwinnett Stripers. Game number three was the best game of all, a 7-1 win over the Memphis Redbirds on April 11. Rodriguez allowed just one hit and one walk in 5 2/3 innings and punched out seven Redbirds. Six days later, Rodriguez had problems finding the strike zone, walking five while giving up four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 frames in which the Sounds eked out a 5-4 decision. His final start was by far the most disappointing, as the bullpen cost him a win. In 5 1/3 innings, Rodriguez gave up three hits and struck out a season-high eight, but watched three relievers give up nine runs in the last two innings in a 9-7 loss to the Durham Bulls. #3 - Bishop Letson, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – 4 G, 3 GS, 16.1 IP, 1-0, 1.65 ERA, 1.99 FIP, 0.80 WHIP, 10 H, 3 BB, 17 K. A lanky (6-foot-4, 170-pound) righty from Floyd Central (Indiana) High School, Letson was picked in the 11th round by the Brewers in the 2023 draft. Letson had a solid year at Low-A Carolina in 2024, allowing a meager six hits per nine innings. Per Jake McKibbin, (The Brewers Farm System Is (Once Again) An Arm Factory): Bishop Letson was the 11th-round pick of the 2023 draft and is one of the more intriguing arms out there. The Brewers area scout who picked him up talked about his changeup making some big strides in 2023, along with some velocity jumps on the fastball, which reached 94 mph (it was sitting in the upper 80s earlier in the season). He threw a lot of strikes, but one of the most interesting things was that he’d never had a pitching coach, and the Brewers thought they could take him forward. Although Letson has only one win to his credit, two of his three ‘game scores’ in his starts are rated as ‘good’ by FanGraphs. Think they might know a thing or two about baseball? In his first start against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on April 5, Letson only pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed one hit, two walks, and two runs while striking out four. Six days later, Letson pitched five innings against the Quad Cities River Bandits and gave up three hits while whiffing a season-high eight batters. Letson pitched in relief one week later, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, one walk, and one run. On April 25, Letson earned his first win of the season, going 5 1/3 innings against the Kernels, keeping the opponents off the board on four hits while striking out four. #2 – Alexander Cornielle, Biloxi Shuckers – 4 G, 4 GS, 17.2 IP, 1-0, 0.51 ERA, 2.08 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, 9 H, 8 BB, 22 K. Cornielle signed as an international free agent in 2019 and is now in his sixth year as a Brewer. He spent two seasons at High A Wisconsin before getting promoted to Double A Biloxi in 2025. In four starts this year, Cornielle allowed one hit in six innings in a no-decision against the Columbus Clingstones (sounds like a personal problem); struck out the first nine Birmingham Barons in a four-inning, 11-strikeout effort; pitched just 2 2/3 innings five day later against the Barons, allowing one hit, three walk, and three runs (one earned). Cornielle got his first Double A win against the Montgomery Biscuits (who makes up these names?) on April 26, pitching five innings while allowing three hits and one walk while shutting the Biscuits out. The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native is fully bilingual and routinely translated for his teammates last year at High A Wisconsin. #1 – Jacob Misiorowski, Nashville Sounds – 6 G, 5 GS, 29.2 IP, 1-0, 1.82 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 0.91 WHIP, 14 H, 13 BB, 38K. ‘Miz’ was a second-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2022 and has moved up nicely in his fourth year as a Brewer. Currently ranked number one on the Brewer Fanatic Top Prospect list and # 44 on Baseball America’s listing, Misiorowski is without doubt the next big pitching thing for Milwaukee fans. Once again, Jake McKibbin provides some insight into the 23-year-old’s success: Misiorowski has been getting ahead in the count more often this season, with significantly less wildness. If he can maintain this type of pitch mix (with occasional sliders and changeups, to keep hitters off-balance), he may have found an arsenal that he can really command at the big-league level. Misiorowski was named the International Pitcher of the Week for the second time in 2025 last week, based on 11 scoreless innings while allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out 17. Overall, Misiorowski had four starts where he allowed three or fewer hits and had three games with seven or more strikeouts, with a high of nine against the Durham Bulls on April 27. Ironically, Misiorowski got his only victory this year while pitching in relief on April 5 against the Gwinnett Stripers, allowing four walks while striking out a similar number in 3 2/3 innings. As of April 28, Misiorowski led all Triple A with 38 strikeouts and had the sixth-best ERA with 1.82. During his career, Misiorowski has won seven Pitcher of the Week awards in the Carolina League, Southern League, and International League, respectively. View full article