On paper, the Milwaukee Brewers have one of the most talented starting lineups in the National League. Unfortunately, they are thin on depth. It could be a long season if something unforeseen happens.
Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura are two of the best defensive players in the National League. Their bats aren’t too shabby either. They should both be All-Stars in 2015.
Matt Garza and Kyle Lohse anchor a starting rotation that is a bit top-heavy. Mike Fiers was hot at the end of the year, but he hasn’t been able to put together an entire season. The back of the rotation could have trouble.
Khris Davis struck out in nearly 25% of his at-bats in 2014. Will he be more patient this season?
Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Milwaukee Brewers.
2014 Win/Loss Record: 82-80
Key Additions: OF Adam Lind, RP Neal Cotts, C Juan Centeno, 3B Luis Jimenez, 2B Luis Sardinas, OF Shane Peterson, RP Chris Perez & SP Dontrelle Willis
Key Losses: SP Yovani Gallardo, 1B Mark Reynolds, 2B Rickie Weeks, SP Marco Estrada, RP Zach Duke, 1B Lyle Overbay, RP Tom Gorzelanny & SS Jeff Bianchi
Interleague Schedule: AL Central
Projected Starters: Jonathan Lucroy, Adam Lind, Scooter Gennett, Aramis Ramirez, Jean Segura, Khris Davis, Carlos Gomez & Ryan Braun
Projected Starting Rotation: Matt Garza, Kyle Lohse, Wily Peralta, Mike Fiers & Jimmy Nelson
Closer: Jonathan Broxton
Fantasy Sleeper: 1B Adam Lind – We’ve all been down the road with Adam Lind and have been burned. Lind has been trapped in platoons and dealt with injuries in two out of the last three seasons. Miller Park is hitter-friendly and Lind should do very well there. I think Lind will like playing in the NL Central.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: SP Taylor Jungmann – Milwaukee doesn’t have many prospects ready to play in the Majors. Jungmann could eventually be a nice end-of-the-rotation starter. He pitched in 150 innings in-between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He had some control issues in Triple-A, but his high strikeout rate is hard to ignore. He could see time in the Majors in 2015.
Team Analysis: Milwaukee overachieved in the eyes of many in 2014. They weren’t expected to have a winning season, but they were solid across the board.
On offense, Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun carried the team. They are both five-tool players and the team would be in real trouble if either player had to miss time. The only player of note they added to the roster was Adam Lind. He should have a nice season, but it will be hard for them to keep up with the rest of the NL Central with their current roster. They should have made a few more moves this offseason.
Milwaukee are maxed out in payroll and their farm system is quite bare. The NL Central is loaded with teams with great farm systems. If things don’t work in their favor in the next two seasons, they may need to blow it up and start over. As far as 2015 is concerned, they may end up in the basement of the division.
2015 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 78.5 (Prediction: UNDER)
2015 Projected Win/Loss Record: 75-87 (5th NL Central)
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.