Run production has not been the Milwaukee Brewers‘ forte this season but if the numbers from their individual players are any indicator, 2017 is starting to look quite promising.
The most obvious case is Chris Carter, who recently set new career marks in runs (82), hits (120), doubles (27), home runs (40), and runs batted in (93). Although his triple slash line (.222/.322/.498) is still under his best (.239/.350/.514 in only 67 games in 2012), he will end the season above his .218/.314/.463 career average.
Of course, there is still much conjecture about his growing strikeout numbers (203) compared to years past, but then again, he’s still not exceeded his career-high (212) in 2013 in 10 fewer games. Although they are still a bit disconcerting, he has also taken more walks this season (75) than his previous high (70) and is still able to produce great numbers despite his shortcomings.
The team still retains two years of control with Carter, making him the top-notch option for first base next season and possibly further into the team’s future, as they still possess only one top prospect suitable for the position.
Almost needless to mention is also Jonathan Villar, who is not only having a career year but putting himself in rare company in the process. As it stands with two games left in the season, Villar is one home run away from joining an extremely exclusive 20-60 club. Only three players in major league history have achieved the monumental feat of hitting 20 home runs and stealing 60 bases, and the names of those who have are just as monumental – Eric Davis, Joe Morgan (2), and Rickey Henderson (3).
Even if he doesn’t get there by season’s end, there’s a lot to say about the 25-year-old who was barely given a real chance to play with the Houston Astros. The trade that brought him to Milwaukee – he was traded for minor league pitcher Cy Sneed (6-5, 4.04 earned run average in 2016) in November – now looks like one of the team’s best trades in the last decade.
In his first full season as a starter, he’s excelled across the board and blown past the 162-game projections he held in prior years. In 2016, he’s compiled a career-best .284/.367/.456 batting line, while adding 91 runs, 19 home runs, 63 RBI, and a league-leading 60 stolen bases. In one season, his wins above replacement value jumped a full three points from 0.9 in 2015 to 3.9 in 2016.
With another year of control before Villar hits arbitration combined with his high-potential numbers, there’s little doubt that he will return next season, albeit, possibly at a new position.
Due to the arrival of Orlando Arcia and the outstanding production of Villar, Scooter Gennett has been almost entirely overshadowed even though he’s also right in the middle of a group that is on a solid offensive upswing.
Despite hitting under his career average this season (.264/.317/.415), Gennett has made some serious strides of his own. He was previously notorious for being unable to hit left-handed pitching, as shown by his 2015 splits (.279/.310/.403 vs RHP, .114/.139/.171 vs LHP), a shortcoming that also forced him into a second base platoon.
This year, he’s shown massive improvement, hitting lefties just about as well as he does righties (.265/.313/.424 vs RHP, .260/.333/.375) and in the process, set career-highs in runs (58), hits (130), home runs (14), and RBI (56).
Unfortunately for Gennett, even though he’s likely to be a cheap price tag for the Brewers next season in his first year of arbitration, it seems as though he might be fighting for a starting job, if not being considered for a trade. The team has already begun testing Villar at second base, Gennett’s position for most of the year, and Arcia is nearly deadlocked to continue at shortstop. With his limited defensive flexibility, it may spell trouble in terms of remaining a starter.
Hernan Perez has also taken kindly to regular playing time. Outside of the late-season slump he’s suffered the last few weeks, he’s still put out fantastic numbers on the year, hitting a career-best .272/.297/.428 and also exceeding previous years and predictions that pegged him as far less productive.
In 2016, he also sets career highs in runs (48), home runs (13), RBI (55), and stolen bases (34) in 121 games, although he also never had the opportunity to play more than 34 games in a season before landing with the Brewers last year.
With a year of control before hitting arbitration in 2018, Perez may be one of the most valuable defensive additions to the team overall. Although best suited for third base, he has fielded every position besides catcher at some point this season, making him exceptionally versatile. Considering that he’s maintained good production with increased playing time, the team will likely opt to keep him on the field rather than as a bench bat.
Even though the catching situation is still a long way from being settled, especially in the long run, the rest of the infield is showing enough potential to get fans excited about what’s to come in the not-so-distant future.
Jonathan Powell is the Managing Editor of Outside Pitch MLB and the Milwaukee Brewers writer. Follow him on Twitter @jonathannashhh.
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