Brewers' Journey to 1st: Pitching and Defensive Prowess

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Jul 28, 2023

As MLB prepares to wave goodbye to July, it’s time to focus on the incredible turn of events for the Milwaukee Brewers. Their recent series with the Cincinnati Reds has the Brewers at the top of the NL Central. The team’s cohesive moves and strategic improvements have helped them regain first place.

Key to their successful strategy was the acquisition of Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates. This move was essential to bolster the Brewers’ first base, lacking due to Rowdy Tellez’s underperformance this year. Despite Tellez’s popularity among Brewers fans, he’s batting just above .200 with minimal home runs.

Santana, on the other hand, holds promise. His commendable batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS make him an asset the Brewers were keen on securing.

Pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who recently completed his second rehab stint with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, is looking to make a solid comeback, strengthening the Brewers’ pitching lineup. The anticipated return of Wade Miley is another crucial component in the team’s tactical roadmap.

The Brewers are the only team with a negative run differential that tops their division. This paradoxical success is grounded in their two-pronged approach – a strong pitching lineup and a tight defense strategy. Indeed, as the old saying goes, good pitching and defense will trump good hitting any day of the week.

Looking ahead to the postseason, any team going against the Brewers’ four-man rotation – Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, and Freddy Peralta – might have to think twice before stepping up to the plate.

However, as much as we admire where the Brewers are, they still need to acquire another effective batter. Their offense remains relatively stagnant, despite Christian Yelich’s commendable resurgence. The Brewers need more firepower.

As the Brewers gear up for August, and with the betting odds at +4000 to win the World Series, they have an exciting path ahead. Their current situation illustrates a positive trajectory, but more strategic additions are required to maintain this upward trend. After all, as much as defense wins championships, an effective offense remains crucial for a team’s success in baseball.

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Thumbnail photo via Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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