The Brewers got their first win of the season on Wednesday, a 4-3 win over the Giants. Top Play: This was an interesting game by WPA, as the Brewers pulled out the victory despite the Giants having the top play and the Brewers having the bottom one. With the Brewers leading 3-2 heading into the […]
Tag: Jeremy Jeffress
What 2016 Holds for Jeremy Jeffress
In his first full big league season, Jeremy Jeffress impressed at the back of the Brewers’ bullpen. A 28-year-old reliever who had never thrown more than 35 big league innings in a single season, Jeffress proved to be a reliable seventh- and eighth-inning option. And with the departure of closer Francisco Rodriguez, he will join […]
The Flexibility of Craig Counsell
For a manager in baseball, as for any person of authority in any field, rigidity can be deadly. While every worker should try to change with the times and stay ahead of the curve, the decision-maker ultimately bears the most responsibility in these areas, since they set the example for everyone else to follow. In […]
Which Brewer Had the Worst Pitch in 2015?
On Tuesday, I wrote about the best pitches that we saw from the Brewers in 2015. Jimmy Nelson’s curveball, Ariel Pena’s four-seam fastball, Francisco Rodriguez’s changeup, and Will Smith’s slider all separated themselves from the pack in a good way. Now, we come to the natural compliment to that exercise — which Milwaukee offerings proved […]
Which Brewer Had the Best Pitch in 2015?
Most fans of baseball seem to observe the game from a hitting-centric viewpoint. As Warren Spahn once quipped, “hitting is timing, pitching is upsetting timing.” This approach has never appealed to me — I think pitchers have a greater hand in the game than we credit them for. Aside from the fact that they succeed far […]
What Will the 2016 Brewers’ Bullpen Look Like?
The recent trade of Francisco Rodriguez means that the 2016 bullpen will look significantly different from the 2015 one. There will obviously be a new closer, but that specific title is less important than the specific leverage roles that each player will fill. Rodriguez was not just the Brewers’ closer; he was also one of […]
Jeremy Jeffress Takes The Step Forward
Relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress was one of the few bright spots for last season’s Brewers. The 27-year-old established himself in a setup role for Milwaukee and completed his first full season as a major leaguer. In 68 innings, Jeffress struck out 67 batters, walked only 22, and recorded a 2.65 ERA. For Jeffress, who had […]
What Can Jeremy Jeffress Learn From Michael Blazek?
Few things can undo an otherwise-solid relief pitcher quite like a strong platoon split. The ability to set down opposing hitters regardless of handedness will separate the middle relievers and closers from the LOOGYs (and ROOGYs). Of the many relief pitchers that currently don the Brewer blue, Michael Blazek stands out as arguably the most indiscriminate, […]
Jeffress Carries 2014 Breakout Into 2015
When the Brewers picked Jeremy Jeffress in the first round of the 2006 draft, they imagined him as their starter of the future. A few up-and-down seasons and failed drug tests later, they lost that vision and moved Jeffress to the bullpen, where he did well enough in the 2010 season to earn a brief promotion […]
Five Things To Watch In The Second Half
(1) Who stays? Who goes? The trade deadline and whether the Brewers will sell in a meaningful way will be an omnipresent and, likely, irritating discussion over the next two-and-a-half weeks. Twitter will be aflutter with tweets about players increasing or decreasing their trade value based on 25 plate appearances, a trio of relief appearances, or a […]