Next up in the 2015 MLB preview department is the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a team that appeared to be destined for the post-season in 2014. But they went from a mid-August mark of 71-55 into a massive tailspin, finishing the season barely above .500 at 82-80. Now comes the task of shedding any residual effects of that blown opportunity.
There’s a good deal of talent on this Milwaukee roster. But I’ve got doubts about how well the pieces fit together at this point. Maybe it was banged up players, maybe it was something internal. Whatever the root cause, I’m very reluctant to be optimistic about the rebound prospects of teams that fell apart late in the prior season.
Ryan Braun is probably the key to whether this team contends for the playoffs again or just falls back to the sub-.500 pack. Braun battled through a variety of ailments en route to a very pedestrian season. Make no mistake, there are more than a few observers who are now stamping Braun as a PED star and one who’s nowhere near that level minus the supplements. He missed the majority of the 2013 season and was little more than ordinary last year. If Braun is done putting up the big digits, chances are the Brewers are done as major players for the foreseeable future.
Jonathan Lucroy is a definite asset behind the plate. Braun’s outfield cohorts are good ones, as Carlos Gomez is a producer and Khris Davis has 30 HR possibilities this year following his 2014 breakout. Jean Segura is an exciting shortstop who I’d like to see leading off for the Brewers. Scooter Genett now looks like a fixture at second base. Maybe 3B Aramis Ramirez will make his last roundup one to remember. Adam Lind is adequate at 1B. Gerardo Parra is a plus off the bench, albeit there isn’t much quality depth on hand beyond him.
The pitching isn’t bad by any means. Wily Peralta hasn’t put it all together yet, but he owns ace stuff and could still breakout if he puts it all together. Kyle Lohse remains reliable, Matt Garza might never live up to his potential but he’s not bad at all, Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson could well be a strong #4-5 combo at the back of the rotation. Francisco Rodriguez is still capable as a closer and the setup crew should be acceptable.
When adding all the pieces together, this is not a bad baseball team. I don’t think they’re legit contenders, but it’s certainly not a hodgepodge of stiffs. Nevertheless, I remain troubled by the 2014 late collapse, and with the Cubs on the rise and the Cardinals and Pirates already entrenched as playoff caliber entries, it’s hard to maintain a glass half full outlook for this team. I’ll have to peg the Brewers for fourth place in the NL Central, and would lean Under on the O/U win prop.