Throwing a small object past a man holding a stick and standing 60 feet away doesn’t sound all that tough. But when the object has to land within an area slightly larger than three square feet and the man holding the stick has muscles the size of your head…. Well, there’s a reason I write […]
Author: Noah Nofz
Chasing Greatness
Chase Anderson was never a heralded prospect. He’s never been a heralded major leaguer, either. In the January 2016 trade that brought him to Milwaukee, Anderson flew surprisingly under the radar. Never mind that he was a controllable young starting pitcher. Aaron Hill blossomed into an unexpected deadline chip and Isan Diaz rode his powerful […]
Signing Shohei Otani
Chances are you’ve heard about Shohei Otani. Talent hounds have been braying his name for years, and with good reason. A quick introduction: Last year, he performed like Noah Syndergaard on the hill and Mike Trout with the stick. His résumé in the Japan Pacific League included a 1.86 ERA with 11.2 strikeouts against 2.9 walks […]
Jorge Takes the Hill
The Brewers’ minor league affiliates are off and running, and early indications suggest that 2017 will be a special season up and down the rungs of the organizational ladder. Early coverage has rightly emphasized the glut of prospects clogging up the boxscores at Class-AAA Colorado Springs and Class-Advanced A Carolina. Meanwhile, right-handed starter Jorge López […]
Walk, Whiff, Smash, Swipe!
In September of 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers hired David Stearns to give direction to what had recently been a rudderless franchise. The move was well received by industry analysts and casual fans alike. Stearns was a rising star in the Houston Astros front office, and that franchise had just emerged from years of futility in […]
Jonathan Villar Powers Up
Last season, Jonathan Villar led the Brewers in fun. His electric offensive performance, his league-leading 62 stolen bases, and yes, even his occasional mind-numbing base running errors did much to elevate an 89-loss team into the realm of watchability. On a more practical note, he also led the team with 4.8 WARP and 79 bases […]
The Intriguing Brent Suter
Spring training is officially underway, and this year’s battle for roster spots should be one for the ages. On a rebuilding club like the Brewers, the first few weeks of March function as an extended open audition. You can see it all over the diamond. Keon Broxton digs in his cleats as Lewis Brinson nips […]
That Sinking Feeling
We’re here at last. Today, Milwaukee Brewers pitchers and catchers report to camp. Among the biggest roster battles set to unfold this spring is the skirmish for space in the starting rotation. Barring catastrophe, Zach Davies and Junior Guerra are our two locks. That leaves three spots open for Wily Peralta, Chase Anderson, Matt Garza, […]
Diamonds in the Rough: Brewers Mine From Indy Leagues
One in ten: That’s the approximate number of players in the minor leagues who make it to the major leagues. And that includes plenty of players we commonly think of as “busts” – think Ángel Salomé or Ben Hendrickson, both of whom clawed their way to the major leagues before fizzling out. Their stories are […]
August 19, 2016: Keon Broxton Keeps it 100
On the evening of August 19th, 2016, the Milwaukee Brewers rolled into a sweltering Safeco Field for a three-game interleague set with the Seattle Mariners. Also hot that night: rookie center fielder Keon Broxton. Related Reading: Can Keon Broxton Make Enough Contact? Carter-Broxton Plate Discipline The Mariners, pushing for their first postseason appearance in fifteen […]