Through two weeks of June, the Brewers have pummelled bad baseball teams just like they should. They are racking up wins with quality starting pitching and a stingy bullpen, home runs and small ball, contributions from different players on different days and a star, perhaps, returning to form. They are having fun doing it, too.
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Ahead of what should be a competitive series against the Reds, Milwaukee (38-27) is a season-best 11 games over .500 with more games against inferior opponents upcoming.
This week’s column includes thoughts from Christian Yelich on his recent success, Aaron Ashby on moving to a relief role and Willy Adames on the best high-fiving jumpers on the team.
1. With a runner on third base with one out in the seventh inning Sunday, the crowd at American Family Field greeted Yelich by standing from their seats and drowning out his walk-up music with cheers.
Yelich was a pinch hitter in this situation, and there was no one else the Brewers wanted at the plate leading 4-2 with a shot at adding another insurance run late in the game.
It was the kind of situation he plays for.
Again, he delivered. Yelich sent a ball with a 98 mph exit velocity to right field for a sacrifice fly. With the job finished, the crowd continued to cheer for him.
A guy can get used to that — especially when it’s Yelich, who thrives on it. And especially when it keeps happening.
Similar situations occurred Friday and Saturday. The crowd stirred late in a clutch situation with Yelich at the plate. They stood from their seats before a pitch was even thrown to him on both occasions, anticipating — not hoping or wishing — that Yelich would come through. Both times, he did just that, hitting game-winning doubles.
“I love those situations when everybody’s getting loud and getting wild,” Yelich said Saturday. “It’s even better when good things happen and it keeps getting louder and louder and louder.”
As long as he keeps hitting, things won’t be quieting down. Yelich went 2-for-3 with three RBIs on Saturday. It was his first multihit game since May 23. He is not hitting home runs at a torrid pace like in 2019, but he has a hard-hit rate over 55 percent and a walk rate over 20 percent. Over the past five games, Yelich has shown some of the best results of that combination: 4-for-12, six RBIs, three doubles, seven walks, two strikeouts.
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Before not starting Sunday, Yelich played every inning of five straight games, which certainly has helped his timing and rhythm.
“It’s nice just to get in that flow of just playing baseball again, and just you know when you have a game on the schedule, you know that most likely you’re going to play,” Yelich said. “Now I’d imagine we’re not going to get too crazy with it, but myself and (Brewers manager Craig Counsell) are pretty honest with each other. When I feel good and feel like I can be out there, then that’s what we’re gonna do. And I felt great the last few weeks and it’s been really nice just to be able to stack a bunch of games on top of each other and just get in that rhythm and be a part of things again.”
2. Avisaíl García is on pace this season to hit more than 30 home runs. He has never hit more than 20 home runs in a season. In 2019 with the Rays, he hit 20. After a two-run shot Sunday, García has 13.
García hit seven home runs in May. Nearly halfway through June, he has three. He is proving he can sustain the slugging, which makes him an intimidating threat in a lineup that needs more of those. García’s hard-hit and barrel rates are higher than his normal outputs, but not by an absurd amount. His launch angle isn’t any different than usual. There’s little in terms of outliers this season versus his career averages, but it seems the production is here to stay. So where’d all the power come from?
“I’ve been working so hard to get better,” García said. “It’s a long season, so it’s got to be consistent.”
Bench coach Pat Murphy (who filled in for Counsell on Sunday while he attended his son Brady’s high school graduation) had a few additional theories.
“Everybody knows it’s in there,” Murphy said. “(Hitting instructors Andy Haines and Jacob Cruz) have done a great job building up his confidence. And then the credit is with the player.”
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Murphy paused.
“But I’ll throw a little something else in there,” he said.
Murphy’s reason had nothing to do with swing changes, diet plans or hard-hit rates.
“Willy Adames has made a difference for him because Willy really looks up to him, and I think Avi feels this awesome sense of responsibility of, like, I need to bring who I am every day and I’m a big part of this and Willy needs me,” Murphy said. “I think that player-to-player connectedness has helped Avi soar and play at the top end of his game because he’s sensational.”
3. Maybe it has something to do with twice changing his walk-up tune to hits from the early-to-mid 2000s, first to the memorable single “Stacy’s Mom” and then to Young Jeezy’s “Soul Survivor.” The era suits him well. But either way, Daniel Vogelbach has started to perform offensively like a capable first baseman at an opportune time.
Ahead of the trade deadline, the Brewers planned to evaluate whether or not they needed to make a deal to upgrade at first base or stick with what they’ve got. Vogelbach is making a strong case lately to put resources elsewhere.
So far in June, Vogelbach is 9-for-32 (.281) with three home runs, three doubles, five RBIs and seven walks.
His season totals aren’t as impressive. Vogelbach is slashing .221/.343/.400 with six home runs, and while he’s proved he can be a quite serviceable defender at first base, his range is limited. The Brewers may still look to add to their options at corner infield, and they probably still should, especially with Travis Shaw (shoulder) out until at least August.
But that doesn’t discount what Vogelbach has provided and shown over the past nine games. As a left-handed batter with power, he’s a useful piece, regardless of role.
“In the past, you know, you’re hard on yourself and worry about things you can’t control and I’m trying hard not to do that this year,” Vogelbach said. “I’m just trying to have good at-bats and put the barrel on the ball because when you do that over the length of the season, good things are going to happen.”
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4. Considering how important Kolten Wong is to the defensive-minded Brewers, it’s wild how successful they’ve been without him.
Wong hasn’t played since June 3. The Brewers placed Wong on the injured list June 4 with a strained left oblique for the second time this season. Since then, the Brewers are 8-1.
While the Brewers have beaten lesser teams, it’s worth noting that the contributions from several reserves have been instrumental in their victories. Whether it’s Tim Lopes drawing a 10-pitch walk Sunday or Pablo Reyes scoring after reaching on an error Saturday or a good defensive play or someone moving a runner over, it’s been a total team effort on most days, with many players doing a bunch of small, helpful things.
“That’s how we’ve won more than we lost during this stretch here,” Murphy said.
Clearly, though, the Brewers are a much better team with Wong, and he is expected to return soon.
Before games, he has been playing catch and running. He hit off a tee for the first time June 10, and swinging was always the most important part: Wong has twice felt the oblique pain on swings that landed him on the injured list.
Counsell pointed to the Brewers’ upcoming road trip as a target for Wong. The Brewers go to Colorado on Thursday.
5. In Triple-A Nashville, left-handed pitching prospect Aaron Ashby has moved from the Sounds’ rotation to the bullpen in preparation for a relief role at some point near or after the second half of the season with the Brewers.
The change is nothing new for Milwaukee. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff both began their major-league careers as relievers despite developing as starters in the minors. They are now two of the National League’s best starting pitchers.
“I wasn’t all the way surprised that they did it,” Ashby told The Athletic. “Whatever I can do to help the big-league team is obviously what I want to do. I’ve just been picking things from other people’s routines that I like and kind of making it my own. So it’s a work in progress, but I always like learning, so it has been good.”
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Ashby had just been named the Triple-A East pitcher of the week before his move to the bullpen. His last start June 4 was the best of his season, his first above Single A. The 23-year-old struck out a season-high 11 batters and allowed one unearned run on two hits in seven innings. Walks were an issue for Ashby last month, but he remedied the problem before switching to reliever.
“I think at times I could be a little too fine or try to make something too nasty and it ends up hurting me,” Ashby said. “Just believing in myself and knowing that what I’m doing is enough … that was kind of the turning point.”
Ashby credited Brewers reliever Eric Yardley, who was on a rehab assignment in Nashville a couple weeks ago, for instructing him to slow down after falling behind in counts and realign his focus to make sure the next pitch is a strike. Ashby said he was happy with all of his pitches. He is better now at commanding his sinker and understanding when and how to use it, along with a changeup that he is throwing more often.
There’s no denying how good Ashby’s stuff is; the challenge now is knowing immediately which pitches to use — he will no longer have much wiggle room to figure out what’s working best for him over the course of an outing.
In addition to his spring training outings with the Brewers, Ashby made three relief appearances in college and three in rookie ball. That’s the extent of his experience as a reliever. So far, the results have been shaky. Ashby allowed two runs in his first inning June 9 before settling down for his second inning. On Sunday, he allowed three earned runs, five hits and two walks in two innings out of the bullpen.
“It’s going to be a work in progress,” Ashby said. “As long as I can learn something every time out there, that’s what is going to matter for the time being.”
6. Since May 15 and over their past 116 2/3 combined innings, Woodruff, Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Adrian Houser have a 2.24 ERA. The entire rotation isn’t rolling, though. Over that same span, Brett Anderson has a 6.52 ERA.
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Anderson has made five starts since May 15. He pitched at least five innings in only one of them. In three of those starts, he failed to complete four innings.
In his last start, Anderson, 33, allowed five runs (four earned), five hits and two walks in three innings. Counsell said, however, that it was a “strategic decision” to take Anderson out of the game — he could have lasted longer. Which made sense, considering he threw only 59 pitches despite his ineffectiveness.
The Brewers wanted Eric Lauer, who relieved Anderson, to log innings so that he could be stretched out on regular rest. Counsell said Lauer will start Monday. Anderson is expected to start Tuesday.
“We’re not going to see Brett working (deep) into games like Brandon or Corbin, probably, but I do think he has the ability to do what you ask a fourth or fifth starter to do — get you into the sixth inning occasionally,” Counsell said. “I definitely think he’s capable of doing that. I thought (in Anderson’s last start June 9) he had really good stuff. He had a really good sinker working. We just couldn’t convert the outs, and that obviously led to a bigger pitch count and it led to some runs, and then we were trying to get back in the game. He had the ability to go back out there and probably get through five innings.”
All of that is true. Based on his track record, the Brewers should be able to count on Anderson for a start that lasts roughly two times through a batting order. And some of Anderson’s numbers are a product of poor luck. But not all of them are.
FanGraphs measures batted balls with soft, medium and hard contact percentages. Anderson’s 8.9 percent soft contact rate is by far the worst of his career. His 14.4 percent barrel rate is more than double his figures from 2019 (6.5 percent) and 2020 (6.4 percent), respectively. The numbers need to improve.
Especially with four starters pitching well, the Brewers have the length options in their bullpen to cover middle innings during Anderson’s starts. But what if Houser falters? Or someone else has an uncharacteristically bad day? And even if they all continue to roll, what good is the strategy when the hole is significant after three or four innings? Either way, the Brewers need more from Anderson.
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7. How much help can veteran right-hander Hunter Strickland provide the Brewers’ bullpen?
The Brewers acquired Strickland on Saturday from the Angels for cash. He was in Milwaukee on Sunday but wasn’t yet added to the active roster. There’s little risk in adding Strickland and seeing what the Brewers have in him. Beyond Josh Hader, Brad Boxberger, Devin Williams, Brent Suter and, perhaps, Trevor Richards — he entered with the bases loaded and none out in the fifth inning Saturday and struck out three without allowing a run — the Brewers lack reliable options in their bullpen. Openings exist for pitchers who can consistently throw strikes and get batters out.
With Strickland, the Brewers wanted the version that pitched this season for the Rays (1.69 ERA in 16 innings). Not so much the one who more recently pitched for the Angels (9.95 ERA in 6 1/3 innings). The Angels designated Strickland, 32, on June 7.
What went wrong? Or, perhaps more importantly, what went right with the Rays? Since 2019, Strickland has pitched for five teams and has a 5.04 ERA, experiencing success only with Tampa.
“Some of it was probably usage, some of it was execution,” Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “We’ll talk with him when he gets here and pick his brain a little bit. We have some ideas. We’ll talk with him and go from there.”
While Strickland’s fastball in the past was known for high velocity, and he still throws it 95 mph, some scouts suggested that his best pitch is his slider. It will be interesting to see how often Strickland throws the pitch with the Brewers. He threw his slider less frequently once he joined the Angels and allowed three home runs — two on his fastball — in nine appearances.
8. The past week showcased just how good Hader has been this season in the traditional closer role.
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Hader is 17-for-17 on save opportunities with a 0.68 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings.
He received five days’ rest before pitching Friday and allowed one hit and struck out two in recording a save against the Pirates.
Then he also pitched Saturday and Sunday.
It didn’t matter if he had a long break or was pitching for the third straight day. In all three outings, Hader was dominant.
“From the beginning, when I started in 2017, the biggest thing was getting that routine down,” Hader said. “Figure out what works best, how many throws I need to do depending on my workload during games. It’s been a big feel thing for me to just see how my body’s reacting.”
By all accounts, the communication between Hader, Counsell, bullpen coach Steve Karsay and everybody else on staff has been terrific, which is a major key in his usage — and the Brewers’ success.
9. Does anyone have more fun on a baseball field than Adames?
How many times have you voted for Willy Adames today? If the answer isn't 5, you should go to https://t.co/b3MimGsZtj ASAP pic.twitter.com/QlcUkTwPP3
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 5, 2021
One of Adames’ most entertaining routines is his trademark leaping high-five celebration. Near the dugout or on-deck circle after big hits, Adames challenges the teammate who just hit a home run or crossed home plate to jump as high as possible for a high-five. It’s a good time. For someone who is 6-foot-4, García gets pretty high. So does the 5-foot-9 Luis Urías. But nearly everyone plays along with Adames’ fun.
The best hops on the team?
“It’s not Vogelbach,” Counsell said. “That’s the no.”
Avi does it again‼️
Woodruff has a two-run lead to work with.#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/T4OcIRDE8M
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 30, 2021
Adames confirmed to The Athletic that it is not Vogelbach. But Adames was somehow persuaded to include him on the list of best jumps he has seen so far from the Brewers. Here’s Adames’ top 10 …
10. Daniel Vogelbach
9. Omar Narváez
8. Daniel Robertson
7. Keston Hiura
6. Lorenzo Cain
5. Jackie Bradley Jr.
4. Christian Yelich
3. Avisaíl García
2. Kolten Wong
1. Luis Urías
Note: Lopes, who debuted Saturday, has impressed with terrific hops, but Adames said he wanted to see more before revising the list.
(Top photo of Willy Adames and Christian Yelich: Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)
