MLB Team Preview – Milwaukee Brewers
In MLB betting, Prince Fielder embodies the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s big, strong, and loveable, and the Milwaukee team, full of young sluggers, gives us the same feeling. But no amount of cuddliness can change the fact that the Brewers will take a step back in 2009. When you subtract CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets from a playoff team’s rotation and replace them with no one, there’s no way you’ll win 90 games again.
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Looking at the Brewers hitting lineup alone is just plain fun; they’re loaded with multi-dimensional guys who can crush the ball. Ryan Braun is one of the best young hitters in the game; J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart, while flawed, bring plenty of pop. Mike Cameron and Rickie Weeks are at different stages of their career, but they bring similar tools to the table right now – decent power, a good batting eye and speed to spare. The Brewers are still crossing their fingers hoping Weeks will explode into superstardom, but if it doesn’t happen soon, it may never.
Sadly for Brewers fans and anyone who rode them at the sportsbook last season, the good news ends there for Milwaukee. Looking at the pitching staff on paper is enough to give you an ulcer. There’s no denying Yovani Gallardo’s talent, but he only has 134 career innings under his belt and tore his ACL last season. Is he ready to assume the role of ace at age 23? Manny “the Piranha” Parra showed flashes of brilliance last year but allows way too many baserunners to be a reliable No. 2 guy. That leaves innings eater extraordinaire Jeff Suppan, candy-armed Braden Looper and enigmatic David Bush. Not exactly Wild-Card berth material, is it?
The Brew Crew’s bullpen has been a sore spot for several years and I’m not convinced that will change in the 2009 MLB odds. Ancient Trevor Hoffman is already hurt, so Carlos Villanueva, a former starter with two career saves and two career blown saves, is handling the ninth-inning duties. Hey, if he fails, there’s always Seth McClung and his 5.55 lifetime ERA. Hooray!
The Brewers have one of those fun team personalities that makes every online betting fan root for them, but they simply don’t have the pitching to return to the playoffs. The bats will power them to at least 80 wins, but a .500 season seems just as likely at the sportsbook as a Wild Card, if not more likely.
One reply on “MLB Predictions / Previews: Milwaukee Brewers”
I agree, their off season losses of CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets from the starting rotation cannot be easily replaced. I think they will struggle a bit this season and finish third behind Chicago and St. Louis.