“How can you even predict the future of the Brewers given their current record?” Well, the reality is that the Brewers’ record does not leave much optimism as a whole, but the individual cogs leave a brighter future. Let’s go position-by-position and analyze the franchise players that make up each position, and consider future players to fill those roles.
Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy is, simply put, a stud. An All-Star last year, Lucroy continues to place himself atop the game’s catchers. Lucroy will be here for years to come, as long as the Brewers (hopefully) do not trade him at the deadline, and is making the most out of his time in Milwaukee. His statistics do not look that impressive because of his injury this season, but Lucroy is now back in action and continuing to dominate behind the plate.
First Base
Adam Lind is a great short-time player, and his .294 average backs that up nicely. But, Lind is 31 and should be traded at the trade deadline. The Brewers should draft a first baseman in the coming year, or trade for someone, and use them as the future of the team. For now, however, we can ride Lind’s inconsistent power and hope Jason Rogers or Matt Clark works out in the near future.
Second Base
Scooter Gennett is a personal favorite of mine. Since his days as a top prospect while on the Timber Rattlers, he has always been a high-attention piece in the farm system. I think that Gennett has the potential to be a star, but he needs the couple of years of maturation that a traditional young player needs. His .224 average and 4 home runs are indicative of this, but with time will come success. If Gennett does not play well enough in the coming seasons, Luis Sardiñas or Hernan Perez could be in the immediate plans, along with Orlando Arcia, who I will mention at shortstop.
Third Base
Aramis Ramirez could be traded at the deadline as well, but he will retire after this season either way. The Brewers have had consistently strong third basemen over the years, and Ramirez’s successor should follow this same alignment of power and defense. Unfortunately, the three probable replacements, Sardiñas, Perez, and Matt Dominguez, all lack power but are great fielders.
Shortstop
Jean Segura is the franchise at shortstop. Well, at least we thought he was until struggles in the past year and a half. Still, he has a solid career, is relatively injury-free, and knows what he is doing. He has a career .266 average, which could use some improvement, but he is very strong defensively and is the anchor of the infield. Segura will run the team should he develop the clubhouse leadership that he is trying actively to seek. If he gets traded, it will show the team’s commitment to Arcia, who is truly the best prospect the Brewers have in the minors.
Outfield
Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, and Carlos Gomez make a formidable team, but they have all shown to be injury prone. Gomez could be traded at the deadline, and the same for the fourth outfielder in the mix Gerardo Parra. In the future, Braun and Davis will be the dynamic duo that anchors this franchise, and we will see what happens with Gomez. If they were to play at a level slightly above their current production, all would be well. Replacements for Gomez would likely be found in free agency or via trade over anything, although first-round pick Trent Clark and Top 10 Brewers’ prospects Tyrone Taylor, Clint Coulter (also a catcher), and Monte Harrison could be great outfielders in the years to come
Rotation
Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza need to be replaced very soon, and ideally replacements can be found in Will Smith and Michael Blazek possibly becoming starters, along with Tyler Cravy, Tyler Wagner, last year’s first-round pick Kodi Medeiros, and this year’s draft picks, Nathan Kirby and Cody Ponce. As for Jimmy Nelson, Wily Peralta, and Mike Fiers, a couple more years are needed to determine trends in their production, but I believe that with these couple years will come a solid opinion, whether good or bad, about their exact need. Taylor Jungmann, since the 2011 draft when he was selected 12th overall out of Texas, has been a player that I have enjoyed seeing rise up in the system. Now that he is in the major leagues, Jungmann will make the impact that the Brewers need him to make. His 1.21 WHIP and 2.79 career ERA have served him well thus far, and his tremendous upside makes the organization smile.
General Outlook
With a hope and emphasis on future production and development over time, as well as a few free agent and trade deals that are unable to be predicted, the Brewers’ future is, surprisingly, brighter than people think. They have a strong core in the outfield and up the middle, and can do many positive things as a ball club with the talents they possess at the trade deadline. I would not call the Brewers a deep franchise at this time, but at least they have something to work with. Craig Counsell’s strengths and youth will be the mindset that propels the team towards future successes as long as he receives the support he needs from owner Mark Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin.
Sources
http://www.brewers.com/roster
http://www.espn.com/mlb/player
http://www.gettyimages.com
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/team/depth_chart/index.jsp?c_id=mil