But that's not to say this roster isn't looking damn good from top to bottom. The aforementioned Yelich isn't quite back to his 2018-19 form (which is probably an unrealistic ask) but has looked every bit of his old Marlins self, driving the ball with authority to all fields and among league leaders in hard-hit percentage on balls in play. A couple of weeks ago, he became the first player in history to hit for the cycle three times against the same team - the Reds. Rowdy Tellez's .522 SLG has been a godsend for a team that has been uncharacteristically average in the home run department. He has an outside shot of making the all-star team given the NL is so weak in the position beyond Freddie Freeman. Him and Willy Adames actually won back-to-back NL Player of the Week awards recently and are both shining examples of David Stearns' mastery of the under-the-radar trade. And speaking of all-stars, Corbin Burnes and Eric Lauer continue to sparkle every time they take the ball. Lauer is in the top 5 in ERA in all of baseball over the past 12 months, in large part to finding another few MPH in his fastball, and I feel like is still not being talked about outside of Milwaukee. Josh Hader is 15 for 15 in save opportunities and has still not given up a run. Andrew McCutcheon and Hunter Renfroe were specifically brought in to help the Brewers beat left-handed pitching, and they have done just that and then some. Renfroe currently leads the team in batting average (minimum 100 ABs) and homeruns. Outside of Father Time finally catching up with Lorenzo Cain, every single player on this roster is providing meaningful contributions. And not just the active roster, but a good chunk of the entire 40-man roster - the depth of this team is what has made this 4+ year run sustainable.
One of the most annoying phrases to me from the baseball media is "it's too early," or even worse, "small sample size." I feel like a lot of players get a pass on being shitty in April and May just because baseball is so streaky and so long and temps are colder in most of the country, and that's fair to a certain extent. Memorial Day is already next week and, right or wrong, is traditionally the day where teams take a step back and say "this is who we are." And with where the Brewers are sitting, if they can add another bullpen arm and some thump off the bench at the deadline, and stay away from major injuries, I see no reason this team can't make a deep run in the playoffs. The problem is that you can say that about almost every playoff contender.
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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