The Milwaukee Brewers are 44-39 with seven games to play until MLB’s All-Star Break. Somehow, they are tied atop the NL Central standings with the Cincinnati Reds, who also have a 44-39 record. What is so amazing(?) about this is that both teams have a negative run differential.
Indeed, the whole NL Central as a whole has had an interesting season. The preseason pick by many to win the division, the St. Louis Cardinals, are in dead last. The Pittsburgh Pirates hung around the top of the division for a while, but have since slid into third with a sub-.500 record.
And the Cubs, well, they’re the Cubs. Truth be told, only one team is exceeding the expectations set for them this year, and that was reflected in the mid-season grades dished out by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report.
Grades for the National League Central Midway Through the Season
Miller gave each MLB team a letter grade for their performance at this midway point in the season. Here are the grades for NL Central teams:
- Milwaukee Brewers: D+
- Cincinnati Reds: A
- Pittsburgh Pirates: B
- Chicago Cubs: C+
- St. Louis Cardinals: F
It is easy to see why many of these teams have the grades they do. The Cardinals have underachieved in the worst possible way. Both the Reds and Pirates have exceeded preseason expectations. And the Cubs, for some reason, always get the benefit of the doubt from the national media. Perks of being in a big market, I guess.
Corbin Burnes, Willy Adames, and Rowdy Tellez Have Been Disappointing for the Milwaukee Brewers?
Remember when Corbin Burnes revealed that he and the Brewers went to arbitration over at $650,000 difference and everyone was on Burnes’ side? It was just five months ago, but seems like an entirely different year.
Remember when fans wanted Willy Adames extended? Now fans want him traded.
And remember when Rowdy Tellez was going to provide some stability at first base? Yikes.
Now, Burnes did have a very nice outing his last time out against the Pirates, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. But he is still just 6-5 on the season with a 4.00 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. His walk rate is up, his strikeouts per nine innings are down, and he just hasn’t looked like the Cy Young Award contender that he was over the last three seasons.
Adames took Milwaukee by storm when they acquired him via trade in 2021. He also set a franchise record for home runs by a short stop (31) last season, despite hitting just .238/.298/.458. His batting numbers are even worse this year, and the power is not the same.
So far, Adames is hitting just .203/.289/.373 with 12 home runs. He has already struck out 83 times and is on pace to have the worst OPS+ of his career.
And then there’s Tellez, who became the first Brewers first baseman to start consecutive Opening Days since Prince Fielder. He is hitting .214/.287/.393 with 12 home runs a year after leading the team with 35 long balls. He, too, is on pace to have the worst OPS+ of his career.
Obviously, these three are not the only players who have struggled. However, they were arguably the team’s three best players last season and were supposed to bring consistency to the diamond. They have not, which is sad considering this may be the last year for all three of them in Milwaukee.
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