After an offseason without a big splash, albeit spending more money than the prior winter, the Brewers offense looks pretty good and may surprise some people. Returning most of the keys, along with some developing prospects, is always the key to success, and the Crew seem devoted to this notion.
Starring at the dish for the Brewers will again be Christian Yelich, who, despite a fall from stardom, still hits and fields above league average and will surely hold a corner OF spot and bat near the top of the lineup. Newcomer Jesse Winker will likely start in the other corner OF. Winker provides average defense, but he hopes his bat validates the acquisition. Starting in CF will probably be Tyrone Taylor, while young gun Garrett Mitchell is the presumptive 4th OF.
Victor Caratini may be the starting backstop, if only for defense and familiarity with the pitchers. He will likely get roughly ¾ of the starts, with new Brewer William Contreras getting the remaining ¼ of starts. Expect the 25-year-old Contreras to spend most of his time at DH, as he slashed a solid .278/.354/.506 in Atlanta last season. As for who DHs the rest of the time, I’d expect the entirety of the bench to be used.
Moving to the INF with six roster spots remaining, Willy Adames at shortstop, Rowdy Tellez at first, and Luis Urias at the hot corner seemingly all but locks. Leaving second base open, though it’s likely Abraham Toro’s job to lose. Rounding out the bench for Cream City will likely be Keston Hiura and Mike Brosseau, though watch out for Brice Turang to jump at any opportunity he gets.
Ultimately, the team’s FO has done a remarkable job identifying, acquiring, and retaining young talent without breaking the bank. As such, they have set themselves up nicely for a productive 2023 season.
