Sure, it is easy to pontificate about the fate of this year’s version of the Milwaukee Brewers on February 1; everyone seems to have an ironclad opinion without much evidence to offer. Some optimistic fans foresee great successes, while others are resigned to a future of doom and gloom–and both sides would have enough ammunition with which to argue their stances. The point is, we simply do not know, especially when pitchers and catchers do not report to spring training for another two weeks. However, one journalist from mlb.com has gone on record as envisioning a wildly triumphant 2023 for the Brew Crew
WILL LEITCH’S NL CENTRAL PREVIEW
As prognostications on who which teams will overachieve or greatly disappoint their fanbase, Milwaukee Brewers fans will be pleasantly surprised that at least one national scribe believes their beloved team will prevail as NL Central champions this year. Although contrary to his January 12 article where he picked the Brewers to finish behind the Cardinals, Will Leitch of mlb.com flipped his opinion and has the Brewers finishing with a 88-74 record, one game ahead of the Cardinals. Leitch realizes that this is not the popular pick, but he feels that the Brewers may be underrated. “It really feels like people are sleeping on the Brewers,” writes Leitch. “They looked like a legitimate World Series contender until last season’s Trade Deadline, and they still have a killer rotation, solid bullpen and an underappreciated lineup.” After the top two finishers, Leitch believes the final order in the standings to be Cubs, Pirates, then Reds at the bottom.
QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN…
Leitch’s prediction is not without caveats. He writes that two main issues must work out in the Brewers’ favor in order for the NL Central crown to return to Milwaukee. First, he believes the offense must overcome the losses of Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong to avoid a repeat of last year’s disappointment. “The general consensus on the 2022 Brewers is that their pitching was great but they didn’t have quite enough offense to make up for some of their late-season bullpen issues, leading to a skid they couldn’t quite escape.” However, with the additions of Jesse Winker and William Contreras, the offense is better suited than it was in 2022 and should not be undervalued. Writes Leitch: “This lineup is a lot thicker top to bottom than it was last year, so underestimate it at your own risk.”
The second issue the Brewers need to address is not overthinking transactions. In light of the disastrous Josh Hader trade at the deadline last year, Leitch warns of trying to be the smartest team in the room and trading for trade’s sake, most notably by keeping their stellar rotation intact despite rumors of future tinkering. “Brewers brass has admitted trading Hader was a mistake — that the clubhouse was a mess afterward. Sounds like they’ve learned their lesson. Then you keep hearing about Corbin Burnes trade rumors, and you worry again if the Brewers are overthinking everything. Milwaukee has a good team — one good enough to win the division. Will the front office leave them alone and let them try?”
If nothing else, one “expert” sees the Brew Crew as a viable choice to win the NL Central. Finding out if more agree with Leitch remains to be seen.
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