It’s hard to imagine the first half of the 2017 season going much better for the Milwaukee Brewers. The team finds itself five-and-a-half games up on the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Players are having breakout seasons up and down the roster. Perhaps the most positive sign for the […]
Tag: 2017 Brewers analysis
Making the Case for Standing Pat at the Trade Deadline
This article begins with a massive caveat: I cannot and will not know what trade offers David Stearns will get between now and July 31. Even though I will go on to explain why I think the Brewers would be justified in not making a big move, if they are presented with a chance to […]
Organizational Logic and Playoff Trades
Brewers fans are so busy dissecting the recent rumors about the club scouting potential trade returns that they have lost focus of the central aim of the club: an MLB team’s first order of business is selling cable subscriptions (and therefore advertising), and their second order is returning (hopeful) profits to the ownership group. Make […]
Building Off the Trash Heap
After a remarkable end to the first that saw the Brewers win six of seven games heading into the break, the shocking Milwaukee nine owns a 5.5 game lead over the vaunted Cubs and Cardinals in the National League Central. That the Brewers will only be sending one man to the All-Star game in closer […]
Weekend Recap 13: Aguilar, Knebel
The Brewers spent last week beating up on the American League East. They swept the Orioles at home and took two of three from the Yankees in New York, with a win in Chicago in between to make it a 6-1 week. Brewers Yankees Friday July 7 9 4 Saturday July 8 3 5 Sunday […]
Remembering Tomorrow: Beyond Buying and Selling
On March 16, 2017, Baseball Prospectus published my remembrance for the 2017 Brewers. The goal of the exercise was to discern the aspects of the team that would define their 2017 future, and then analyze those elements. My criticism of the Brewers offseason was buttressed by scenario planning involving league wide trends, as well as […]
What (We Think) We Know Halfway
It’s halfway between the actual halfway point of the baseball season and the de facto halfway point, so it’s time to take a look at what we think we know about the Brewers based on when stats begin to stabilize. The usual disclaimer here applies, in that these stats aren’t meant to be taken as […]
Weekend Recap 12: Vogt and Thames
The Brewers started the back half of their schedule by taking two of three from the Miami Marlins to successfully start their homestand. Marlins Brewers Friday June 30 2 3 Saturday July 1 4 8 Sunday July 2 10 3 New acquisition Stephen Vogt provided all the offense the Brewers needed in their win on […]
Brewers Baserunning and Sprint Speed
Last season, the Brewers led all of baseball in stolen bases by a considerable amount. They were not, however, a particularly good baserunning team, at least according to BP’s BRR statistic, which calculates overall value contributed by baserunning rather than just being limited to stolen base percentage. In 2016, according to BRR, the Brewers were […]
Thames, Sprints, and a Hart Homage
Remember early this season when everyone that didn’t think Eric Thames was on steroids (as John Lackey and the Cubs did) blamed the horrific Cincinnati Reds pitching staff for the success of the Milwaukee slugger? Well, it turns out they were mostly right. Eight of Thames’s first eleven homers were in his 7 games and […]