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| Ryan Braun (above) will face more scrutiny in 2012 than anyone else in baseball. |
Let me preface this post by saying that this is the first preview of a team that I believe has a legitimate chance at a playoff spot.
The defending NL Central Champions are going to have a few major obstacles in their path. Namely, not having Prince Fielder. However, Ryan Braun took the cake when it comes to Brewer headaches. Although his suspension was overturned, he is a cheater in the court of public opinion. This should have no bearing on the Hall of Fame, because he most likely was not a future Hall of Famer in the first place. This will, however, make Major League Baseball re-evaluate their protocol for testing samples from players.
The Brewers are still winners this offseason. They have Braun to start the season and have adjusted to losing Fielder very nicely. Mat Gamel moves over to first base with a chip on his shoulder and Aramis Ramirez signed with the Brew Crew to man third base. Compare Aramis Ramirez hitting .306/26/93 on a poor Cubs team compared to Prince on a first place Brewers team hitting .299/38/120 on a 1st place Brewers team. Granted, Ramirez will not command as many walks as Fielder. However, is is not a complete drop off. Rounding out the lineup by signing Alex Gonzalez was a smart move by the Brewers, who despite losing hitting coach Dale Sveum, will still be a dangerous offensive team.
Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, Nyjer Morgan, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart will also be in the lineup this year. Hart is expected to join the team in the middle of April after having knee surgery today. This is a deadly lineup without Prince Fielder. Not Detroit Tigers deadly. Not Philadelphia Phillies deadly. Not Texas Rangers deadly. But really close.
Their rotation will most likely consist of Zack Grienke, Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson. The first four of those pitchers are coming off of good seasons. I expect at least three of them to continue that play this season. On top of a rotation that has two aces, their bullpen has two closers. K-Rod returns from setting up John Axford. This pitching staff is every bit as deadly as the lineup.
Everyone will get caught up in Fielder's absence and calling Braun a cheater. Meanwhile, the Brewers will surprise people.
Here's why you should not be surprised. The Brewers have followed the small market model to a tee. Cultivate your core. They brought up Fielder, Braun, Gamel, Hart, Weeks, Lucroy and Gallardo. They had enough of their talent in 2008 to gel with their group of veterans that they made the playoffs. After that, they were in a position to win so they made moves to bring in more of those pieces such as Marcum, Morgan and Wolf. Then as buyers, they started trading prospects for established players such as Zack Grienke. Eventually one or more of these players will leave for a big contract or for the fact that you cannot afford them. In this case, it was Prince Fielder. But as you see, this team is still formidable.
Take note Washington.
X-FACTORS:
Lineup: OF Ryan Braun. The court of public opinion will make their mind up by the end of this season on whether this guy is a cheater. If Braun continues to put up his usual numbers, he will be okay and the Brewers will not suffer two major losses from the last offseason.
Rotation: Randy Wolf. He is a historically inconsistent pitcher. If Wolf can keep his ERA under 4.50, the Brewers have one of the top three rotations in baseball.
Bullpen: Jose Veras. Coming off a decent season in Pittsburgh, Veras has potential to lock down the 7th inning for the Brewers
The Kids: 1B Mat Gamel. Power-hitting 26-year old who has proved nothing and is replacing Prince Fielder. This selection was a no-brainer
ROYAL LIST:
#56 RHP Wily Peralta: International signee who should be up at some point this season.
#70 RHP Taylor Jungmann: Had a great career with the Longhorns. Good candidate to be called up in September.
#71 LHP Jed Bradley: Another young arm that the Brewers are excited about.
PROJECTION: 1st Place NL Central
-They will face some stiff competition from the Reds. The Pirates and Cardinals will also make a run at this division. However, I feel that this is the Brewers' division.
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