The Milwaukee Brewers are going to need to improve offensively to win the Central
As of the time of this writing, (6.27/23) a haze has settled over Southeastern Wisconsin from the Canadian wildfires. Unfortunately for Brewer fans, that ‘haze’ has been around all season when it comes to the team’s offensive production. The team has only managed 314 total runs this season (25th in baseball). The Rangers (47-31) lead all of baseball with 460 runs.
Milwaukee is 41-37. They are an impressive 7-3 in their last ten games. They still are winning.
Yes, one must acknowledge the team is still in 1st place, But in order to stay in first place this team is going to need to score more runs.
Let’s jam on what the statistics and numbers are telling us and then posit if any quick changes are available to help this team score sooner than later. (Spoiler Alert: The Crew is getting nothing out of the DH slot.)
Related: Milwaukee Brewers: 1 Expert Cites Pitching as Reason Team is in it
Where is the team, statistically, in terms of team offense?
Milwaukee is ranked second to last in team batting average .226. The Brewers are ranked last in total hits (576). Again, conversely the Rangers lead the MLB with 743.
The Brewers are ranked last in total team doubles and triples.
The Brewers are 18th in the MLB with 86 home runs.
A statistical bright spot is stolen bases. The team is currently 8th in the MLB. They run well as a team and that does help keep pressure on opposing defenses when guys manage to get on base. However, Milwaukee is third to last in terms of .ops. So not many guys end up getting on base to be able to steal bases anyway.
Manager Craig Counsel on the Brewers Offense vs the Cleveland Guardians:
Unfortunately we didn’t create a lot of activity… that’s the baseball season. We are going to go through stretches and we just have to keep after it… We hit some balls very well. Just nothing. We took some good swings today.
At this point in the season it gets hard to call this a “stretch”. Some things really will need to change for Milwaukee to lockdown the weak NL Central.
Here are some ideas. Please don’t hold back with those comments and dialogue.
Related: Brewers Head to New York to take on the Mets
Idea #1- Get Rowdy Going (Or Some other First Baseman)
The Brewers rank 27th in WAR (wins above replacement) at the first base position. That needs to improve. Conversely the crew ranks 4th in WAR at the left field position. That’s more of what we need.
Where could that improvement come from, other than from Rowdy Tellez just getting better? What about trading for a Gavin Sheets (White Sox) or with the Nationals for Joey Meneses? Both of those moves might not cost much.
The Brewers are also currently playing Owen Miller more at first and DH’ing Rowdy. That also will incrementally help.
Idea #2- Get some production out of the DH spot
The Brewers rank last in all of baseball in WAR (wins above replacement) from the DH. That HAS to change. Milwaukee could stand to DH the “best man up” or hot hand. Could a Keston Hiura call-up make sense? Could a hot hitting Willy Adames DH while someone else plays shortstop? This cannot remain a hole in the Brewers offense.
If this spot could even creep up into the top twenty you would see a huge lift in the offense.
Brewers13g Spt Porter 9
Idea #3- Final Idea (Silly)
Petition MLB to bring back pitchers who hit! Who can forget Yovani Gallardo slamming the occasional home run? (He did hit 12 home runs for the crew.) It always felt like the Crew had an advantage with pitchers who could hit. Maybe we could all try to bring that back!
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