Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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They’ve always had plenty of big-time mashers. Now the Brewers have added an ace in Zack Greinke, and they might just challenge for the division title.

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 MLB Record: 77-85
Milwaukee Brewers 2010 MLB Home Record: 40-41
Milwaukee Brewers 2010 MLB Away Record: 37-44

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Betting

Milwaukee Brewers Odds to Win the National League: +700
Milwaukee Brewers Odds to Win the World Series: +1500

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Preview & Prediction

From Bambi’s Bombers to Harvey’s Wallbangers to the present-day collection of sluggers, the Brew Crew’s rich, foamy head at the plate pas been equaled only by its watery, flat backwash on the mound. But after acquiring two top of- the-rotation pitchers this offseason, the Brewers have assembled their most balanced roster in decades. Milwaukee faithful have reason to believe that first-year manager Ron Roenicke can lead the Brewers to the keg party that is the postseason for just the fourth time in franchise history.

Milwaukee Brewers Manager: Ron Roenicke – First year Record: 0-0

Former bench coach with the Angels, Roenicke figures to mimic Mike Scioscia’s managerial style, emphasizing fundamentals and aggressive base running.

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Projected Batting Order: 2B Rickie Weeks (R), RF Corey Hart (R), LF Ryan Braun (R), 1B Prince Fielder (L), 3B Casey McGehee (R), SS Yuniesky Betancourt (R), CF Carlos Gomez (R), C Jonathan Lucroy (R).

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Projected Rotation: RH Zack Grinke, RH Yovani Gallardo, RH Shaun Marcum, LH Randy Wolf, LH Chris Narveson.

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Projected Closer: RH John Axford

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Offense:

2B Rickie Weeks leads off. Finally healthy in 2010, Weeks showed what damage his amazing bat speed can inflict. OF Corey Hart went absolutely bonkers in the first half last season; we doubt he’ll ever repeat it. OF Ryan Braun is still a beast, but he looked a little less fierce this past time around. Translation: buy low. Slugging 1B Prince Fielder had a down year as well, and the Brew Crew will try to flip this hefty Boras client before he jiggles his way to greener pastures. 3B Casey McGehee will ply the hot corner, but remains eligible at second and will return there if Rickie Weeks’ brittle wrists act up again. With Lorenzo Cain gone, the Brewers may give OF Carlos Gomez one more chance to combine his elite speed with, well, any other offensive skill. SS Yuniesky Betancourt’s unexpected 16 HR total from last season may be replicable if the Brewers can put up with his sub-.300 OBP. C Jonathan Lucroy looks to share backstop duties with C Wil Nieves. Yes, you may yawn now.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Rotation:

Yovani Gallardo has hit 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons. He’s only thrown three complete games in his career, but still provides Milwaukee with something most teams in the division lack: a true ace. Zack Greinke makes a not-so-shabby co-ace. He may give up more HR in Miller Park, but he’ll surely have better run support than he ever had in Kansas City. The Brewers made what could be a nifty pickup when they acquired injury-prone but tantalizing Shaun Marcum from the pitching- saturated Blue Jays. They gave up their best prospect to get him, but Marcum misses bats and put up good numbers in the much tougher AL East. Randy Wolf will do what Randy Wolf does: win a dozen or so games, notch an ERA north of 4.00, and draw an enormous salary. The fifth slot is anyone’s guess- Chris Narveson looks like the best bet to stick in the rotation. Manny Parra has never put it together. Prospect Mark Rogers still has incredible stuff in his surgically repaired arm, but we’re not sold on him as anything but areliever who rings up lots of strikeouts in short stints.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Bullpen:

Mark Rogers has locked up the shut-down duties for now, thanks to Trevor Hoffman’s decision last year to finally show his age, and the team’s decision thereafter to hand Hoffman his walking papers. Axford is exactly the sort of lowcost closer you should target. Takashi Saito is next in line for saves. He has succeeded everywhere he’s pitched, but may soon start to fade now that he’s 41. latroy hawkins hopes to rebound from an awful season that ended with shoulder surgery in August. He should be ready early this season.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Middle Infield:

Since cheering his full-time arrival in 2005, Brewer fans have wondered what kind of numbers Rickie Weeks could put together if only he could stay healthy for an entire season. Now they know. Arguably the league’s most potent leadoff hitter, Weeks played in 160 games and led the majors in home runs, runs and RBIs from the lead-off spot, while setting Brewer records for a second baseman in those same categories. The Brewers will begin the season with their third new starting shortstop in the last three years, having traded J.J. Hardy so Alcides Escobar could take over last year, and now having traded Escobar in the Greinke deal. Yuniesky Betancourt arrives from Kansas City known as a major defensive liability, but he’s potent at the plate, establishing career highs with 16 homers and 78 RBIs last year.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Corners:

Slugging first baseman Prince Fielder becomes a free agent following the 2011 season, and many assumed he’d be traded away by now. But because the Brewers weren’t happy with any trade offers, and were able to acquire top-of-the-rotation pitching without moving him, Fielder is back in the clean-up spot, ironically needing to improve his offensive production in order to merit a big free agent payday. His batting average slipped to .261 (career-low), he collected only 83 RBIs (tied for fourth-best on his own team), and of his 32 homers (lowest total since 2006), 26 were just solo shots. Certainly a primary cause for Fielder’s lack of production was the simple fact that pitchers refused to give him anything good to hit. The beneficiary of that strategy was Casey McGehee, who, hitting behind Fielder, proved that he belonged as an everyday player by leading a lineup stocked with sluggers with 104 RBIs, a record for a Brewer third baseman.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Outfield:

In All-Stars Ryan Braun and Corey Hart, the Brewers possess two of the most productive young corner outfielders in the game. Entering his fifth season, Braun is on his way to becoming one of baseball’s most prolific hitters. Hart was on the verge of playing himself out of a job before rebounding with a stellar 2010 season that earned him a three-year contract extension. The free swinger produced career highs with 31 homers and 102 RBIs and led the team with a .525 slugging percentage. Carlos Gomez has good speed (18 steals), shows flashes of power and has a nice glove, but is a source of frustration by matching a propensity to strike out (72 whiffs in 291 at-bats last year) with an inability to get on base (career .293 on-base percentage).

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Catching:

In Jonathan Lucroy, the Brewers believe they have discovered their catcher of the future. As a rookie, Lucroy impressed the Brewer brass with his work ethic, not to mention his ability to throw out would-be basestealers (31 percent) and a decent bat — he was hitting .274 before his average dropped 21 points as he tired in the final month.

2011 Milwaukee Brewers Bench:

Craig Counsell is back for a 14th season and provides versatility as a reserve infielder and a clutch bat as a pinch-hitter (.333 in 2010). Veteran Mark Kotsay and fill in at first and in the outfield. Chris Dickerson will battle Gomez for time in center field, and Brandon Boggs, acquired from Texas, provides a switch-hitting bat off the bench. Veteran catcher Wil Nieves was signed to spell the young Lucroy behind the plate. Counsell, Kotsay and Dickerson all bat lefthanded, which may prohibit keeping all three.

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 Season Predictions

The only thing the Brewers have lacked in recently is pitching, and they sure made a point to address that. The acquisitions of Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, along with the continued development of Yovani Gallardo and the return of Randy Wolf, give this team a rotation that can compete. Unfortunately, the Reds have an even better rotation.v – We predict that the Milwaukee Brewers will finish 91-71 & 2nd in the NL Central Division.

Milwaukee Brewers 5-Year Win Trend

2006: 4th NL Central 75
2007: 2nd NL Central 83
2008: 2nd NL Central 90
2009: 3rd NL Central 80
2010: 3rd NL Central 77

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