Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

(Photos: CF Greg Presley and LHP Joaquin Villano)








Last season, the Brewers were arguable the entire League's finest team over the final 2/3 of the season, making an incredible sprint to the finish line and wresting the final Wild Card slot from Pittsburgh on the second-to-last day of the season.

Milwaukee then dispatched Houston and Atlanta in the opening rounds of the playoffs before coughing up a 3-0 lead to the Reds in the LCS, costing the franchise a shot at its second World Series title.

Still, management considered the season successful and something to build upon if the team is to continue competing in the ultra-competitive NL North.

Following is a team preview.

Last Year's Record: 91-71, 3rd in NL North. Wild Card winner. Lost in NLCS.

Key Losses: 2-Time Gold Glove winner Pablo Romero; starting pitcher Karim Pulido (via trade to Las Vegas); 2B Horacio Aquino (via trade to Las Vegas); starting pitcher Ozzie Chang (via free agency); reliever Miguel Garces (via free agency)

Newcomers: Starting pitcher Mike Leius (acquired via trade with Las Vegas); 2B Eswalin James (from farm system); OF Carmen Recchio (from farm system); Reliever James Ono (from farm system)

Will make the playoffs if: Big Three starting pitchers Leius, Cy Young Finalist Donald Satou and 2-time 15-game winner Edgard Espinosa all pitch to form, keeping Milwaukee from any prolonged losing streaks (the Brewers lost 11-in-a-row at one point early last season).

Will miss the playoffs when: The mediocre bullpen flushes too many leads; top of the lineup underperforms; Pittsburgh makes another stride forward this season.

Outlook: The Brewers lack a true MVP candidate in the lineup, but have good balance from top to bottom. Their starting pitching has a chance to be very good, and closer Cooper Benes has saved 65 of 69 games as a Brewer. Milwaukee's defense has been in the top-3 of the NL for three straight seasons, including #1 last year. The Brewers will win 95 games and claim their 3rd-straight Wild Card spot.

Team Song: "We Won't Get Fooled Again"

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Catcher: Hector Ramirez got a new deal last season and responded with 36 HR and 105 RBI. Lawrence Plant might be the best backup in the League.

First Base: Wolf Latham got picked off the waiver scrap heap and responded with .292/23/64 and an OPS of .868. Thank you, Blue Jays. Former $20-million man Andrew Spencer is the oldest Brewer ever at 39-years old. But he still has some pop, and posted respectable .300/19/59 numbers in just 360 ABs. He occasionally will play a corner OF spot.

Second Base: With Aquino dealt away in the Leius deal, the job falls to 20-year old rookie Eswalin James. A good contact and power guy, James is known to have a poor sense of the strike zone. But, he's a deluxe fielder and this team can afford to stash him toward the end of the lineup.

Shortstop: Entering his second full season, James Trachsel is replacing 2-time Gold Glove winner Romero on a full-time basis. His OPS was .200 points higher than Romero's and his defense is nearly on-par. Last season, "Jimmy Tracks" hit 15 homers and added 67 RBI in just 402 ABs. Slick-fielding Bill Riley is auditioning in Spring Training as the backup at SS (and the other IF positions).

Third Base: Another reclamation project, Jimmie Torres was plucked out of the Rule V draft, and promptly hit 140 HR in just three seasons. However, last season was the worst of his three in Milwaukee as he fell from 55 HR to 38, and dropped from 137 RBI to 85. His defense is below average.

Left Field: Two-time All-Star Zachrey Jerzembeck suffered through a brutal first half, but somehow recovered to post .298/40/100 numbers to go along with 116 runs and 22 SB. He's had at least 33 HR in each of his eight full ML season, as well as six-straight seasons of 20+ steals.

Center Field: Gregg Presley has had a remarkably consistent past three years with 20, 19 and 19 HRs; and 68, 63 and 62 RBI. He was shuffled out of his customary leadoff spot last year because of his SB percentage (career 78 SB, 73 CS).

Right Field: Matthew Hollins forced his way back into the everyday lineup last season and it paid off with a .291/41/85 campaign that included 112 runs and 37 SB (just 5 CS). Hollins' RBI count is depressed considering he bats leadoff against lefthanders. Just 25, he already has 150 career HR, and a career OPS of .911.

The reserve outfielder is Carmen Recchio, who is in his first ML season, but has had a .962 OPS in seven pro seasons.

SP: Satou, Espinosa and Leius are one of the top pitching trios in the League. Coming off a 17-5, 2.89 campaign, Satou has emerged as one of the most consistent SPs in the League. Leius (20-5, 2.73) has been aided by a pitcher's park in Las Vegas, but should still win 15-18. And Espinosa is shooting for a third straight season with at least 15 wins. The rotation is rounded out by Joaquin Villano, who suffered through a 10-win season after posting 14 the year before; and 21-year old Clark Key, who went 7-8 as a rookie last season.

Bullpen: The Brewers have a deep, if unspectacular bullpen. Louis Ross is the long man, maturing until he can crack the rotation. The setup corps is comprised of Rogers Thompson, Jesus Martin, Shane Kelly, Juan Blanco, James Ono and Matty Guardado. Benes was an All-Star in season 10 and finished second in the Fireman of the Year standings last season.

Management: Josh Harris back for his 8th season as bench coach, and he's helped the Brewers to a 616-518 mark (.543).