justintalk
EOG Veteran
1. The time has come to fill Prince Fielder?s shoes. The Brewers moved Mat Gamel from third to first base last season at Class AAA to prepare for the eventual?and inevitable?departure of Fielder. Gamel, 26, did what the club asked. He found a comfort zone on defense and enjoyed a big season at the plate (.310 average, 28 homers, 96 RBIs), earning the first chance to succeed Fielder. ?We know he can hit in the minors,? G.M. Doug Melvin says. ?The only way to evaluate him in the major leagues is with extended play.? If Gamel doesn?t produce, the Brewers are likely to give right fielder Corey Hart some time at first base.
2. There?s a new left side of the infield. While Gamel is taking over Fielder?s place at first base, Aramis Ramirez?who signed a three-year, $36 million deal? assumes his cleanup spot and will serve as lineup protection for reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun. ?It?s a big relief to know we have someone hitting behind Ryan,? Melvin says. Ramirez, 33, is no stranger to the NL Central, having spent his 14 seasons with the Cubs and Pirates. The Brewers also brought in a new shortstop, Alex Gonzalez, with the hope that he can provide more consistent defense than Yuniesky Betancourt.
3. There will be more pressure than ever on Braun. Since coming up with the Brewers in 2007, Braun has developed into one of the game?s best?and most popular?players. But his squeaky-clean image took a hit in the offseason when word leaked in December that he had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Although Braun defiantly proclaimed his innocence and became the first known player to win his appeal and avoid a 50-game suspension, he?ll still have to deal with jeers and boos on the road like never before. The notoriety will only add to the challenge of carrying the Brewers? offense.
[h=2]PROJECTED LINEUP[/h] 1. 2B Rickie Weeks. A first-time All-Star in 2011, Weeks hit 20 homers on the season but missed all of August because of an ankle injury.
2. CF Nyjer Morgan. He hit .316 against righthanders last season but only .209 vs. lefthanders, setting up a platoon with Carlos Gomez.
3. LF Ryan Braun. He put up MVP numbers across the board (.332 average, 33 homers, 109 runs, 111 RBIs) last season.
4. 3B Aramis Ramirez. He can?t replace Prince Fielder?s offense, but a repeat of his line last season with the Cubs (.306 average 26 homers, 93 RBIs) would be fine.
5. RF Corey Hart*. He has averaged 28 homers the past two seasons, and his .356 on-base percentage in 2011 also earned him time at leadoff.
6. 1B Mat Gamel. He has hit for average (.304 for his career) in the minors but is just a .222 hitter in 171 major league at-bats.
7. C Jonathan Lucroy. An up-and-comer, Lucroy hit .265 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs in 136 games in 2011, his second major league season.
8. SS Alex Gonzalez. He hit just .241 with a .270 on-base percentage for the Braves in 2011, but the Brewers like his defense and experience.
*Expected to begin the season on the D.L.
[h=2]PROJECTED ROTATION[/h] 1. RHP Yovani Gallardo. In 2011, he won a career-high 17 games and topped 200 innings for the first time, but he was hurt by the home run (27 allowed).
2. RHP Zack Greinke. In 2011, his first season with the Brewers, he went 11-0 with a 3.13 ERA at Miller Park, and his career-best 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings led the N.L.
3. LHP Randy Wolf. A steady veteran, Wolf has won 13 games in each of the past two years while averaging 214 innings and a 3.93 ERA.
4. RHP Shaun Marcum. He pitched 200 innings for the first time in 2011 but faded late (5.17 ERA in five September starts, 14.90 ERA in three playoff starts).
5. LHP Chris Narveson. He has proved to be a borderline No. 5 starter over past two seasons, making 28 starts in each with a cumulative 4.73 ERA.
[h=2]PROJECTED CLOSER[/h] RHP John Axford. Armed with a 95-mph fastball and an improving curve, he posted a 1.95 ERA and tied for the NL lead with 46 saves last season.
[h=2]SCOUT?S VIEWS[/h] Strengths: ?Their pitching will have to carry them, and it is good enough to do so. When I look at Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke, Gallardo has separated himself because of his upside. He is just short of being a No. 1 starter for me, and he has the stuff to become one. Randy Wolf is steady and a solid No. 4. Shaun Marcum is the key. You have to wonder if he?ll be as effective after (NL) hitters have seen him for a season.?
Weaknesses: ?Alex Gonzalez and Aramis Ramirez will help, but this still is a team that doesn?t catch the ball very well. The right side of the infield, with Rickie Weeks and Mat Gamel, is much weaker than the left side. Gamel lacks experience at first base, and knowing how much they need his bat, it would be very easy for him to put undue pressure on himself.?
[h=2]BOTTOM LINE[/h] The Brewers got their first huge break of the year when NL MVP Ryan Braun won his appeal of a positive drug test and managed to avoid a 50-game suspension. But they still won?t be able to overcome the loss of Fielder to return to the playoffs.
2. There?s a new left side of the infield. While Gamel is taking over Fielder?s place at first base, Aramis Ramirez?who signed a three-year, $36 million deal? assumes his cleanup spot and will serve as lineup protection for reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun. ?It?s a big relief to know we have someone hitting behind Ryan,? Melvin says. Ramirez, 33, is no stranger to the NL Central, having spent his 14 seasons with the Cubs and Pirates. The Brewers also brought in a new shortstop, Alex Gonzalez, with the hope that he can provide more consistent defense than Yuniesky Betancourt.
3. There will be more pressure than ever on Braun. Since coming up with the Brewers in 2007, Braun has developed into one of the game?s best?and most popular?players. But his squeaky-clean image took a hit in the offseason when word leaked in December that he had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Although Braun defiantly proclaimed his innocence and became the first known player to win his appeal and avoid a 50-game suspension, he?ll still have to deal with jeers and boos on the road like never before. The notoriety will only add to the challenge of carrying the Brewers? offense.
[h=2]PROJECTED LINEUP[/h] 1. 2B Rickie Weeks. A first-time All-Star in 2011, Weeks hit 20 homers on the season but missed all of August because of an ankle injury.
2. CF Nyjer Morgan. He hit .316 against righthanders last season but only .209 vs. lefthanders, setting up a platoon with Carlos Gomez.
3. LF Ryan Braun. He put up MVP numbers across the board (.332 average, 33 homers, 109 runs, 111 RBIs) last season.
4. 3B Aramis Ramirez. He can?t replace Prince Fielder?s offense, but a repeat of his line last season with the Cubs (.306 average 26 homers, 93 RBIs) would be fine.
5. RF Corey Hart*. He has averaged 28 homers the past two seasons, and his .356 on-base percentage in 2011 also earned him time at leadoff.
6. 1B Mat Gamel. He has hit for average (.304 for his career) in the minors but is just a .222 hitter in 171 major league at-bats.
7. C Jonathan Lucroy. An up-and-comer, Lucroy hit .265 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs in 136 games in 2011, his second major league season.
8. SS Alex Gonzalez. He hit just .241 with a .270 on-base percentage for the Braves in 2011, but the Brewers like his defense and experience.
*Expected to begin the season on the D.L.
[h=2]PROJECTED ROTATION[/h] 1. RHP Yovani Gallardo. In 2011, he won a career-high 17 games and topped 200 innings for the first time, but he was hurt by the home run (27 allowed).
2. RHP Zack Greinke. In 2011, his first season with the Brewers, he went 11-0 with a 3.13 ERA at Miller Park, and his career-best 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings led the N.L.
3. LHP Randy Wolf. A steady veteran, Wolf has won 13 games in each of the past two years while averaging 214 innings and a 3.93 ERA.
4. RHP Shaun Marcum. He pitched 200 innings for the first time in 2011 but faded late (5.17 ERA in five September starts, 14.90 ERA in three playoff starts).
5. LHP Chris Narveson. He has proved to be a borderline No. 5 starter over past two seasons, making 28 starts in each with a cumulative 4.73 ERA.
[h=2]PROJECTED CLOSER[/h] RHP John Axford. Armed with a 95-mph fastball and an improving curve, he posted a 1.95 ERA and tied for the NL lead with 46 saves last season.
[h=2]SCOUT?S VIEWS[/h] Strengths: ?Their pitching will have to carry them, and it is good enough to do so. When I look at Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke, Gallardo has separated himself because of his upside. He is just short of being a No. 1 starter for me, and he has the stuff to become one. Randy Wolf is steady and a solid No. 4. Shaun Marcum is the key. You have to wonder if he?ll be as effective after (NL) hitters have seen him for a season.?
Weaknesses: ?Alex Gonzalez and Aramis Ramirez will help, but this still is a team that doesn?t catch the ball very well. The right side of the infield, with Rickie Weeks and Mat Gamel, is much weaker than the left side. Gamel lacks experience at first base, and knowing how much they need his bat, it would be very easy for him to put undue pressure on himself.?
[h=2]BOTTOM LINE[/h] The Brewers got their first huge break of the year when NL MVP Ryan Braun won his appeal of a positive drug test and managed to avoid a 50-game suspension. But they still won?t be able to overcome the loss of Fielder to return to the playoffs.