Consider this our MLB Preview. I will try to do something on the National League with a focus on the Central tomorrow, and American League on Saturday with predictions on Sunday morning before the first game at 12:05 pm. We start with the Milwaukee Brewers.
1.) Is this team really going to be that bad? I don't think so. I do think the Milwaukee Brewers will be around a 73-75 win baseball team. I'm not saying they're a playoff team, but currently, people are way too negative on them right now. No one knows if the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates hit the regression train which opens more wins for the Brewers. Same goes for if the Chicago Cubs aren't the second coming of the 1927 Yankees.
Further, the team itself has some talent. It's not the best ever, but the Minnesota Twins came from the clouds to win 83 games. Would I be shocked if Milwaukee won over 75 games this season? Not really given the young pitching staff could all start peaking towards their ceiling. Now, it's not unreasonable to think Milwaukee will be a sub-70 win for the second straight time. If that happens, it will be the Brewers first back-to-back sub-70 seasons since 2003 and 2004.
2.) When will Jonathan Lucroy be traded? Don't worry, the Lucroy jerseys will still be acceptable to wear until July. There are some reports the Texas Rangers want to add a catcher and starting pitcher before their season starts on Monday. Unless Lucroy comes up hitting .310 with some homers and doubles early on, it's going to be the trade deadline. Brewers general manager David Stearns can still get great value at the deadline as Lucroy isn't a rent-a-player.
There's a really small chance he stays with the Brewers for another year. The only way that happens is if Lucroy gets hurt or is so far up his ass, he loses it mentally.
3.) Who is the breakout star for the Brewers - Offense and Pitching? Domingo Santana will become a fan favorite by August. I would love to say Collin Walsh, but that's a little bold. Santana has all of the tools to be a solid offensive player with a killer arm. I'm interested to see where Craig Counsell puts him in the lineup. It would be fun to see him continue as the lead-off hitter.
Josh Hader is the pitching breakout star. I'm not sure what his arbitration looks like for his career, but if Hader gets a chance in the big leagues, look out. He's a hard-throwing left hander drawing comparisons for Chris Sale. It's foolish to think all five starters will stay healthy or be competent all season.
4.) Craig Counsell in Year 2 To me, I thought Craig Counsell did the best he could with the team. There weren't many frustrations with the team like you had with Ron Roenicke, Ken Macha before him. But usually, the grace period is a year then everyone questions every more. Still, it will be interesting to see how Counsell handles things in his second year with a team presented with low expectations.
5.) Will causal fans tune out at the ballpark? Milwaukee Brewers still did great ticket numbers last season. But if the losing continues we are right to assume the fan support might leave the team. But Milwaukee's marketing team can point to a record crowd at the On-Deck event. I believe it's become a social thing, and due to that, attendance will not change.
Charlie.
Charlie.
