Michael Trzinski

My projection had Peguero being healthy. OTW, Megill prob gets the spot.

I have also seen Megill IN, and Peguero OUT. Who knows. Any maybe Counsell will go 13/13 on the batter/pitcher breakdown instead of 14/12. Time will tell...

As we get closer to the finalization of the Milwaukee Brewers playoff spot, inquiring minds want to know: who will take the field for our beloved Brewers in the three-game Wild Card Series in early October and hopefully beyond? Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp & Brewer Fanatic Based on recent games, call-ups, and demotions, here is one man’s prediction based on the semi-cloudy crystal ball on a dining room table somewhere in Port Edwards, WI. CATCHER William Contreras Victor Caratini This is the easiest position to predict, as iron man Contreras has appeared in 132 games this year, slashing .284/.362/.460 across 573 trips to the plate. When he needs to take a break - which is seldom - Caratini (.252/.327/.382) performs admirably. FIRST BASE Carlos Santana Rowdy Tellez The righty/lefty ‘platoon’ of Santana and Tellez has struggled in September, batting a combined 21-for-98 (.214). Still, they have the potential to knock some balls out of the park (22 combined taters in 477 ABs) and make manager Craig Counsell forget about that low batting average. SECOND BASE Brice Turang Andruw Monasterio Turang (.218/.287/.304) should get the most starts here, but Monasterio - usually a third baseman - will occasionally start at the keystone. Turang is much better defensively, but if he struggles at the dish, watch for Andruw to slide into the lineup. THIRD BASE Josh Donaldson Andruw Monasterio Donaldson has started seven of the 11 games at the hot corner since he arrived in Milwaukee, and it seems he will continue to do so. Although hitting just .219/.324/.469 in 32 ABs, he has been an RBI machine (seven in nine games). Monasterio will fill in as needed at both second and third. SHORTSTOP Willy Adames Brice Turang Adames has struggled this year(.213/.305/.407) but has been heating up in September, batting .264 with 13 ribbies in his last 53 ABs since Labor Day. Turang has filled in as needed, making nine starts at his original position. OUTFIELD Mark Canha Sal Frelick Tyrone Taylor Christian Yelich Blake Perkins Garrett Mitchell Counsell has been playing mix-and-match with his outfielders this month, with Canha (14), Taylor (15), and Frelick (18) all getting more than a dozen starts. Perkins has been playing well since returning from Nashville, batting .273 (3-for-11) with one homer while making four starts in CF. Frelick will most likely get the majority of the nods from Counsell in the middle spot, while Canha and Taylor have been flip-flopping between LF and RF. Yelich was sidelined for much of September with his balky back and the Brewers will keep him on the roster, allowing him to rest leading up to the postseason. Mitchell is on a rehab assignment and could return to Milwaukee on September 25, working on strengthening his left shoulder. If these two guys can get close to 100%, it will be a psychological boost for the Brewers, not to mention a little more offense and defense for the club. STARTERS Corbin Burnes Brandon Woodruff Freddy Peralta Adrian Houser Wade Miley (LH) Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta are arguably the top starting threesome in baseball today and will start the three games in the NL Wild Card Series beginning October 3. Houser and Miley are capable starters and could pitch in relief if needed, although Miley has only pitched seven times in relief in his 13-year big league career. RELIEVERS Hoby Milner (LH) Andrew Chafin (LH) Bryse Wilson Joel Payamps Abner Uribe Devin Williams Elvis Peguero The Brewers have to feel good about their bullpen. Let’s start with Williams, who has 35 saves and a WHIP of 0.918. This guy is the definition of a ‘lights-out’ closer. Milner is a lefty specialist, and Chafin will be the second southpaw out of the ‘pen. Wilson, Payamps, and Uribe all have WHIPs under 1.09, combining for a very effective set-up group for Williams. Peguero is currently on the IL and is hoped to return in time for the beginning of the Wild Card Series. The Brewers have had a nice run this year, getting stronger in September while second-place Chicago faded. Since taking over first place on August 3 for good in the NL Central, Milwaukee has played at a clip of .659 (29-15). They currently have a ‘World Series win’ possibility on Baseball-Reference.com of 7.5%. If they keep playing well and the baseball ‘gods’ are kind, Milwaukee has a nice chance of winning their first World Series. View full article

Maybe it's just me, but did it seem like pitching Tellez was kinda rubbing their noses in it? Not like Payamps, Milner, or Uribe have pitched much lately...

'Rough, tough, Charlie Hough...' Gotta love it!

Sir, you are very knowledgable. And I thought I knew my sports...lol

The Brewers continue to hold steady, winning another series in the Bronx. Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports In late August, the Milwaukee Brewers held a five-game margin in the NL Central over the second-place Chicago Cubs. Eight days later, that lead was cut to a mere one-and-one-half games over the Cubs. In that span, the Brewers won three of eight games, scoring 31 runs, an average of 3.8 runs/game. But more importantly, they scuffled for runs in the late innings (7th, 8th, 9th). In 22 ‘late’ innings, the Brewers scored six runs, which equates to 2.4 runs/game. After an off day on Thursday, Milwaukee started a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. And boy did things change…in a good way. The Brewers beat up on New York on Friday, scoring three runs in both the 7th and 8th innings en route to an 8-2 victory. In the three ‘late’ innings, the Brewers were 10-for-19 (.526), including two hits each by Andruw Monasterio, William Contreras, and Brice Turang. Milwaukee went one better Saturday, clobbering New York 9-2. In those late-inning ABs, Brewers hitters collected seven hits in 15 at-bats (.467) and tacked on seven runs (three in the eighth and four in the ninth). The eighth inning featured five straight hits to lead off the frame, including Tyrone Taylor’s sixth home run of the year. Taylor and Contreras each had a pair of hits in the last three innings. The starting pitchers for Milwaukee had mixed results during the two games. Colin Rea went 4 2/3 in the first game, allowing three hits, two walks, and a pair of runs on Jasson Dominguez’s two-run shot in the bottom of the third. After Rea got the first two outs in the fifth, manager Craig Counsell brought in Abner Uribe, who struck out Aaron Judge to end the inning. Uribe, Trevor Megill, Bryse Wilson, and Thyago Vieira finished up, allowing only three walks in the final 4 1/3 innings striking out three batters. In the second game, Wade Miley didn’t allow any runs in the first three innings but ran his pitch count to 57 and was starting to run out of gas. That showed in the fourth when he gave up two runs on a single, two walks, and an error. After his 84th pitch and a 2-2 game, Miley came out, and Elvis Peguero came in to get the final out of the inning. Peguero, Wilson, Joel Payamps, Megill, and Hoby Milner combined to pitch the final 5 1/3 innings, allowing only three hits and one walk while whiffing six Yankee batters. Game Three on Sunday showed a pitching duel like one seldom seen in Major League history. Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes threw eight no-hit innings before being pulled by Counsell. Devin Williams and Abner Uribe each pitched a hitless inning, sending the game to the top of the 11th with the contest still knotted at zero. On the other side, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole allowed three hits in seven innings while striking out nine. Wandy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Tommy Kahnle matched zeroes through the first ten innings with three hitless frames. With the bogus ‘runner on second’ rule in extra innings, each team scored one run in the 11th and two markers in the 12th. The Brewers could not score in the thirteenth, but New York won the game when Kyle Higashioka doubled to score ‘ghost-runner’ Everson Pereira from second to close out a 4-3 win. In this game, Milwaukee struggled against Cole, Peralta, Holmes, and Kahnle, going a combined 0-for-9 in the first three ‘late’ innings and 3-for-11 in the ‘late’ late innings. Overall, the first two games against lesser pitchers were very productive, but Sunday’s game showed that a quality hurler can cause the Brewers some harm. Two wins out of three is a good result, but a sweep would have been better. With 20 games left to play and a three-game lead, Milwaukee will need their stud aces to keep performing at a high level but also need to have their hitters performing as well in the whole game, not just in the late innings. View full article

Me as well.

Loyal followers of Brewer Fanatic will recognize most of the names on the website’s Top 20 Prospect List. But how many of you know the names of the players who aren’t in that elite group? Today we will introduce three speedy flychasers, all of whom were drafted in the 12th round or later in the MLB Draft. Image courtesy of © Andy Barron/RGJ via Imagn Content Services, LLC Jace Avina, OF, Carolina (A) 5-11, 180, R-R Avina was chosen in the 14th round of the 2021 draft out of Spanish Springs HS in Sparks, Nevada. He was Nevada’s Northern Region 5A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in high school, with three homers, 17 RBI, and a .478 batting average. The 20-year-old is in his second season playing for the Mudcats and has a slash line of .229/.367/.425 in 92 games, including 13 homers and ten steals. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts a bit, but he does walk a fair amount. Avina can play all three spots in the outfield and has a good arm, as witnessed by his 11 assists. Avina has an older brother, Austin, who has autism. Jace’s dad Armando said: “Guardian angel; that’s what Jace has been to Austin.” Terence Doston, OF, Wisconsin (A+) 5-10, 160, L-R Doston was grabbed in the 22nd round of the 2019 draft. His high school, Hillsborough (Tampa, Florida), was the starting place of players like Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden, and Gary Sheffield. Doston batted .361 in his senior year, ran a 6.48 60-yard dash in track, and had a weighted grade point average of 4.3 in his final year in high school. It was anticipated that Doston would enter West Virginia University as a two-sport star (also football). Still, he elected to sign with the Brewers and began his pro career in 2019. Doston, 22, is in his second season at Class A+ Wisconsin and has split his time between center and left fields. He is currently fourth on the team with 15 steals and his slash line of .246/.317/.301 shows little power (one HR in 203 plate appearances) but indicates the ability to draw a walk. Kay-Lan Nicasia, OF, Carolina (A) 5-11, 175, S-R Nicasia was born in the Netherlands but played ball at Champagnat Catholic HS in Hialeah, Florida. He was the 21st-round pick of the Brewers in 2021. Nicasia played two years in the Arizona Complex League and moved up to Class A Carolina in 2023, where he has shown some power (six HR) and speed (24 SB). He was drafted as a shortstop but has played outfield exclusively this year, mainly in RF. Although he strikes out too much (101 Ks in 273 ABs), he has shown a good eye (45 walks) at times. His slash line of .216/.329/.344 indicates he needs to improve to move up, but the potential is there. And for you music fans, Nicasia’s full name on Baseball-Reference.com is listed as Kay-Lan Paul Simon Nicasia. To some extent, all three are struggling at the plate, but Avina and Nicasia have shown the ability to draw a free pass, and both have a little pop in their bats. Doston has speed to burn and is very intelligent, as witnessed by his 4.3 GPA in high school. One major problem for all three is that they are blocked in the outfield at the big league level (Christian Yelich, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell) and the higher levels in the minors (Jackson Chourio). Guys like Yophery Rodriguez (ACL Brewers) and Luis Lara (Carolina) are at the same level or lower but are ranked higher than Avina, Doston, and Nicasia. There is room for improvement, and it will be interesting to see if any of these young players can make the next steps and roam ‘the corn’ at American Family Field in the next 2-3 years. View full article

As the Brewers enter the stretch run of September, their starting rotation is in pretty good shape, with arguably the best threesome in baseball, comprised of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. Wade Miley provides a change-of-pace as the wily southpaw, giving Milwaukee a very solid top four. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports The fifth starter might be the problem. Adrian Houser, who was a ‘serviceable’ final piece in the puzzle, was placed on the 15-day IL on August 28 with an elbow injury. Manager Craig Counsell said, “The hope is that (Houser) will miss a couple of starts and then be ready to rejoin the rotation.” Due to the Houser injury, Colin Rea has been recalled from Nashville. Rea made 20 starts for Milwaukee through early August but was sent down to AAA due to a recent propensity to serve up gopher balls - nine in his last six starts, covering 31 1/3 innings. He was called back up and pitched four and one-third innings against the Phillies on Saturday, giving up dingers to Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto. Fortunately, they were both solo shots, and the Brewers would go on to win 7-5. Rea pitched well in two starts for Nashville, allowing only one home run in 11 innings. Although the Brewers currently have not decided on a starter for Friday night, Rea might get another shot in that opening game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Other options include Robert Gasser, Bryce Wilson, and maybe even Janson Junk as the wildcard. Gasser has been a beast in Nashville, averaging 11.1 K/9 winning nine of ten decisions. He has been stretched out lately, tossing six-plus innings in his last five starts. He is currently ranked as the #6 prospect on Brewer Fanatic, and Brewer Nation is waiting with bated breath for the MLB debut of the left-handed phenom. Wilson has been a stud in the Milwaukee pen, and Counsell might be hesitant to mess with that chemistry. He has been a multi-inning workhorse, averaging 1.5 innings per outing, and the Brewers might not be able to replace him in that role if he moved into the rotation. Junk has been toiling in Nashville most of the year but has proved to be a decent pitcher, making 22 starts. He walks a few more than he should (one every three innings), but his WHIP isn’t terrible at 1.32. He wouldn’t be my first choice, but I could live with him if it came to that. If Houser can return in mid-month and be the pitcher that the Brewers hope he can be, it’s a moot point. But Rea, Gasser, or Wilson would be solid options for that September 8 game against New York. So, barring any further health issues, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Wade Miley cast huge shadows as stars in the rotation. The fifth pitcher comes from the group previously mentioned, and while he doesn’t have to be a superstar, that would be a nice addition. We all know how the top three of Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta will perform, but what of ‘Wily’ Wade Miley? The 36-year-old lefty has given up seven homers in his last five starts (28 1/3 innings), so he may be tiring in the ‘dog days’ of his 13th major league season. Counsell will have to keep an eagle eye on the big Cajun, as history shows he has struggled toward the end of the 162-game season. In the last five years (not counting the 2020 COVID season), Miley started 44 games in August/September. In 205 innings, he allowed 241 hits and 28 HRs, posting a WHIP of 1.58. If this is the Miley we see in September, we could be in trouble. He is truly the bridge between the top three and the number five question mark. It doesn’t bode well for Milwaukee and their long-term playoff run chances if he is bad. After 136 games, Milwaukee has a 3.5-game lead over Chicago in the NL Central, and ESPN.com has the Brewers playoff probability of 98.7%. Obviously, winning the division is important, as the Brewers would much rather play the #6 playoff team, with all games at American Family Field, than possibly slipping to that #6 spot and playing all games on the road. But is it more important to pitch your ‘studs’ to win the NL Central than to line up your rotation for a three-game series? The Brewers have only two days off the rest of the season (7th and 25th), so most likely, the rotation will be on a five-man schedule. Miley is tentatively penciled in as the starter in the second New York game (Saturday), which lines him up in the #5 spot. Counsell might switch him to the Friday night game and have the ‘undecided’ spot come up on Saturday, and thus be the fifth starter. But after that, the quintet of Burnes-Woodruff-Peralta-Miley-fifth starter’ could have clear sailing until the final off day on September 25. At that point, the playoff picture *should* have more clarity, and then Counsell could mix and match his rotation to give his aces some rest and line up the staff for the first-round games on October 3-4-5. Clinching the division in the next three weeks would make life a lot easier for the Brewers and their loyal fanatics. View full article

Turbo, it would really be nice for them to punch through to the Series, but it always seems like either the hitting or pitching is a bit light. Maybe one of these years, they will have the 'killer' team and blow everybody away. Not sure 2023 is that year :(

Right now #3 Milwaukee would play #6 Chicago. I would even worry about that!

While the past seven years of Brewers baseball has seen a lot of success, they haven't been able to push through in October. Image courtesy of © Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel After losing to the Cardinals in 2011, the Brewers fell into a funk, missing the playoffs for six straight years (2012-2017). During that gloomy stretch, Milwaukee slogged to a record of 466-506, an average of 78 victories per season. Manager Ron Roenicke, who finished second in the voting for NL Manager of the Year in his rookie campaign of 2011, saw his Brewers team struggle to earn 83, 74, and 82 wins, respectively, in the next three seasons. In 2015, Milwaukee was languishing in fifth place in the NL Central with a record of 7-18 on May 3 when Roenicke was fired and Craig Counsell took over. In 2017, Milwaukee won 86 games and finished second in the NL Central, an improvement of 13 games over the previous season. They would nearly match that improvement in 2018, when the team posted a 96-67 record, beating the Chicago Cubs in a one-game tiebreaker to take the NL Central crown. 2018: So close The Brewers finished the season strong, coming from third place as the calendar flipped to September, winning 19 of 26 games to finish in a first-place tie in the NL Central with Chicago, setting up a ‘winner-take-all’ match on Monday. October 1. The Brewers scored two runs in the eighth and partied at the ‘Friendly Confines’ after a 3-1 victory, sending the club to the NLDS, where they would face Colorado. Milwaukee swept the three-game series, outscoring the Rockies 13-2, including two shutouts. Next up for Milwaukee in the NLCS was Los Angeles. The teams split the two games at Miller Park, each contest a one-run game. The Dodgers fared better at Chavez Ravine, winning two straight after a 4-0 Milwaukee win in Game 3. The teams jetted back to Brew City, with LA leading three games to two. The Brewers were dominant in Game 6, evening the series with a 7-2 win, and were getting ready to put plastic up in their locker room. But all the Brewers could muster in Game Seven was a first-inning home run by Christian Yelich. Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw dispatched the last seven Milwaukee hitters, including five by strikeout, to take a 5-1 win and move on to the World Series. The Dodgers would lose to the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic in five games. 2019: One and done in Washington The Brewers started hot in April, winning seven of their first eight games, and then cooled off. On July 5, they found themselves in first place in the NL Central, with the pesky Cubs lurking a half-game behind. But after losing five of the next six, the Brewers dropped to third and would bounce between second and third the rest of the year, ending in second, two games behind St. Louis, with a mark of 89-73. The Brewers traveled to Washington, DC, to face the Nationals in a one-game Wild Card contest (NLWC). The Brewers built a 3-0 lead on home runs by Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames and took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. Ace closer Josh Hader had two outs and two on in the eighth, but then a single, walk, and another base hit by Juan Soto added up to three runs and a 4-3 Nats lead. Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth and earned the save for Washington, and once again, the Brewers were eliminated from post-season play. Washington won the NLDS, swept the Cards in the NLCS, and defeated Houston in seven games to win the Series. 2020: Covid strikes down the season For the first time since 1995, the major leagues did not play a full season. The Coronavirus shortened the season to 60 games, during which Milwaukee went 29-31, finishing fourth in the NL Central behind champion Chicago, the Cardinals, and the Reds. Playing Los Angeles in one of the four NLWC series, the Brewers were swept in the best-of-three series. Clayton Kershaw struck out 13, allowing only three hits in eight innings to close out the short series in Game Two. After beating San Diego (NLDS) and Atlanta (NLCS), the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to grab another World Series. 2021: Will Smith haunts his old mates The Brewers dominated the last four months of the season, leading the NL Central for all but six days beginning on June 1. On September 12, Milwaukee had a dominating 14-game lead on the rest of the NL Central but played listlessly the last three weeks of the campaign, going 6-12. They still won the division by five games over St. Louis with a record of 95-67. In the NLDS, the Brewers got knocked out of the post-season by the Atlanta Braves, three games to one. Former Brewer southpaw reliever Will Smith saved all three games for the Braves. And once again, the team that ended the Brewers’ season was the team that held up the Commissioner’s Trophy that signified the world champion of baseball. The Braves beat the Dodgers in the NLCS and then took out Houston in six games in the Series. Milwaukee lost at all three levels in the playoffs in the last 15 years and came close in 2018. As of August 24, Milwaukee is in first place this year and has a 3.5 game lead over Chicago and Cincinnati. We’ve been here before and have faced heartbreak so many times. If the hitting can catch up to the pitching, is Milwaukee good enough to make a long run through the post-season? Only time will tell. View full article

Anyone who is a Wisconsin sports fan will probably remember the benchmark of the second iteration of Milwaukee baseball--the 1982 Brewers. In the brief 54-year history of the Brewers, only a handful of teams are mentioned when two or more Brewers fans get together for a brat, a beer, and to talk Brewers baseball. Image courtesy of © Rick Wood / USA TODAY NETWORK If you want to travel further back in time, set your ‘wayback’ machine to October 1957 when the Braves were all the rage in Brew City, beating the Yankees for the World Series crown. But that’s a story for another day. The ‘82 campaign was a magical year that Brewers fans will never forget. It was the only time the team reached the World Series, and to even get to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the Brewers had to beat Baltimore on the final day of the regular season, owing to three straight losses that weekend to the O’s to bring the season to a ‘winner-take-all’ match-up on Sunday, October 3. Robin Yount hit two homers and a triple. At the same time, late-season acquisition Don Sutton allowed only two runs in eight innings in a 10-2 Milwaukee victory, propelling the team to the ALCS against the formidable California Angels. After dropping the first two games in Anaheim, Milwaukee came back home and took three thrilling games at County Stadium to advance to the first World Series in franchise history. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Brewers in the Fall Classic, four games to three. It has been argued by some that a season-ending injury to Hall of Fame closer Rollie Fingers was enough to cost the Brewers a Series title. But in truth, he probably could have made the difference in Game Two, in which the Cards pulled out a 5-4 win. But most of the other contests were blowouts one way or the other, or Brewers wins. The Brewers have made six post-season appearances since that extraordinary season 41 years ago. Milwaukee came close before losing a pair of National League Championship Series (2011, 2018), two National League Divisional Series (2008, 2021), and two Wild Card series or games (2019, 2020). Here is a brief summary of those seasons, each one an arrow in the heart of Milwaukee baseball fans. 2008: CC Sabathia becomes a Milwaukee hero In early July, Carsten Charles (CC) Sabathia, Jr. was traded from the Indians to Milwaukee for four players. It was arguably the best second half by a pitcher in Brewers history. He went 11-2 with an ERA of 1.65 and lost a no-hitter on a bogus call by the official scorer in a game at Pittsburgh on the last day of August. His 17 starts included seven complete games and three shutouts, both of which led the National League. In half a season! That is domination. Milwaukee won 20 of 27 games in August and then struggled in September, going 10-16. They finished second in the NL Central, trailing the Chicago Cubs by seven-and-a-half games, but qualified for the wild card spot. The Philadelphia Phillies won both games at home in the NLDS, including hammering Sabathia in the second game. Dave Bush kept the Brewers alive with a 4-1 win in Game Three, but the Phillies were too much for Jeff Suppan in Game Four, as the Brewers dropped a 6-2 decision. The Phillies would go on to beat Tampa Bay for the World Series title. 2011: The Cardinal jinx continues The Brewers started the season 0-4 but fought their way to the top of the NL Central in late July and never looked back, finishing with a mark of 96-66, six games ahead of St. Louis, who would get its revenge later. Milwaukee beat the Diamondbacks, taking three of five games in the Divisional Series. The Brew Crew won two games at home before Arizona returned the favor back in Chase Field, sending it to Game Five at Miller Park. Nyjer Morgan (Tony Plush) singled in Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 10th for an exciting 3-2 win. Next up: the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL pennant. The two teams went back and forth in the first five games, with the Cards holding a 3-2 edge. But St. Louis got off to a fast start in Game Six, scoring four runs in the first inning on the way to a 12-6 victory, sending St. Louis to the World Series, where they beat the Texas Rangers in seven games. PART TWO: Four straight years in the playoffs (2018-2021), coming soon! View full article