There were essentially three positions where the 2022 Milwaukee Brewers got significant run production: first base, shortstop, and right field. Willy Adames (SS), Rowdy Tellez (1B) and Hunter Renfroe (RF) were the big bats for the Brew Crew last season.
Unfortunately, Renfroe was traded, so the Brewers will need to replace his run production in the outfield. And, DH, where Andrew McCutchen was the main bat, may also need some upgrading as McCutchen remains a free agent without a home.
Looking at the run production by position, shortstop, first base and right field were each Top 5 in the league for RBIs last year. Here’s a short synopsis of those positions and their run production (via RBIs) from the 2022 campaign.
Brewers’ Top 5 run production positions in 2022
Shortstop: The Brewers’ shortstops ranked second in the league with 105 RBI (Adames 95, Urias 10) behind the New York Mets (107).
Right Field: The team’s right fielders ranked third in baseball last year with 98 RBIs. Renfroe led the way with 69 followed by Tyrone Taylor with 14.
First Base: The Brewers’ fist basemen ranked fifth in MLB with 98 RBIs, led by Tellez’s 80 and Keston Hiura’s 14.
Those were the only positions that finished in the top half of the 30 MLB teams last year. Here’s a look at the other positions and where they ranked in the RBI stat for the Brewers last year.
More run production needed
Left Field: They ranked 18th in baseball with 67 RBIs.
Second Base: They ranked 18th also with 62 RBIs.
Catcher: Catchers were 20th with 57 RBIs.
Center Field: The center fielders ranked tied for 24th with 54 RBIs. Taylor led that group with 32 RBIs.
Third Base: The third basemen were fifth worst (26th overall) with 58 RBIs.
Brewers’ designated hitters and pinch hitters were both Top 10 for RBIs last season. Pinch hitters were seventh with 20 RBIs, led by Mike Brosseau’s 12 RBIs in 19 plate appearances. The DH position was tied for 10th in MLB last year with 87 RBIs. McCutchen led that Brewers’ group with 45 RBIs.
Still looking for help at third base and center field
One final thought: Getting big-time run production out of center field and third base positions has been a challenge for the Brewers over the past several years. The last time the Brewers’ center field position was in the Top 5 for RBIs was in 2013 when Carlos Gomez had 73 RBI and Logan Schafer added 13 for 86 RBIs, tied for third most in baseball that year. Brewers’ third basemen were last in the Top 5 in 2017 when they were tied for third with 115 RBIs, led by Travis Shaw’s 99.
How will the Brewers upgrade these low-ranking positions for 2023?
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