Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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Milwaukee Brewers 2009 MLB Record: 80-82
Milwaukee Brewers 2009 MLB Home Record: 40-41
Milwaukee Brewers 2009 MLB Away Record: 40-41

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Betting

Milwaukee Brewers Odds to Win the National League: 22/1
Milwaukee Brewers Odds to Win the World Series: 50/1

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Preview & Prediction

Only two years removed from their first playoff appearance in 26 years and with the dynamic duo of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder still intact, the Brewers would like to believe that their window of opportunity remains open. A return to the postseason, however, will require a lot more than a couple of big bats in the middle of the lineup. The starting pitching will have to pull off a complete reversal from a year ago, and a key group of unproven position players needs to rise to the occasion. And all this will need to happen under a manager who barely held on to his job after last year’s disappointing dip below the .500 mark. Could it happen? For sure. Is it likely? Probably not.

With Fielder and Braun holding down the middle of the lineup as the most productive duo in baseball, the Brewers will score runs. As usual, the success of the team will come down to pitching. It will take some pleasant surprises on the mound to get the Brewers back in playoff contention.

Milwaukee Brewers Manager: Ken Macha (5 Seasons) Record: 448 – 362

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Projected Batting Order: 2B Rickie Weeks (R), RF Corey Hart (R), LF Ryan Braun (R), 1B Prince Fielder (L), 3B Casey McGehee (R), C Gregg Zaun (S), CF Carlos Gomez (R), SS Alcides Escobar (R)

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Projected Rotation: RH Yovani Gallardo, LH Randy Wolf, LH Manny Parra, RH Dave Bush, RH Jeff Suppan

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Projected Closer: RH Trevor Hoffman

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Rotation:

Muhammad Ali once said, If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you. Might not be a bad quote for new Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson to keep handy. Other than right hander Yovani Gallardo, Brewer starters were abysmal in 2009, compiling the worst ERA (5.37) in the National League, allowing a .283 opponents’ batting average and racking up only 65 quality starts (second-worst in the NL). The outlook is marginally better for 2010, particularly if free agent signee Randy Wolf meets expectations. Brewer GM Doug Melvin identified Wolf as the team’s primary target and he got his man. A 33-year-old lefty, Wolf provides a nice complement to the right-handed Gallardo. If he has JUSt an average year (4.13 career ERA), that will I be good enough for the Brewers. Gallardo wasn’t just a bright spot in a weak Brewer rotation; the 24-year-old solidified his position as one of the top young pitchers in the game. His win total of 13 would have been much higher if not for the fact that Brewer hitters seemed to let up in games in which he pitched; in nine of his starts, Milwaukee scored two or fewer runs. Beyond Gallardo and Wolf, the Brewers must simply hope for the best. Left hander Manny Parra will get another chance to prove he belongs in a big league rotation. Despite fairly high expectations a year ago, Parra earned a demotion to Triple-A with a string of miserable outings, and his 6.36 ERA was worst among NL starting pitchers. with at least 120 innings pitched. Dave Bush has been up and down over the course of his four-year stint in Milwaukee. A triceps injury slowed him down last year to the point that he rivaled Parra for worst ERA among NL starters. And then there’s Jeff Suppan. He’ll be given a shot to win a spot in the rotation mainly because the Brewers are paying him $12.5 million.

2009-2010 Milwaukee Brewers Bullpen:

Compared to the moldy bread that was the Brewer starting rotation in 2009, the bullpen was a fine loaf fresh from the oven. All time major league saves leader Trevor Hoffman showed no signs of age at 41, earning an All Star berth while posting his lowest ERA (1.83) since 1998 and converting 37 of 41 save opportunities. The Brewers re-signed him immediately after the season, and his presence is a great reassurance. Newly acquired veteran right hander LaTroy Hawkins adds even more stability to the back end of the rotation. Todd Coffey became a favorite of manager Ken Macha’s, leading the league with a career-high 83.2 innings of relief in a team-high 78 games. Coffey’s prolific activity was emblematic of an overworked bullpen. At least one Brewer reliever appeared in all but one game last year, tied for most in the majors. Fortunately, the bullpen is deep. In addition to Hoffman, Hawkins and Coffey, Macha can turn to the likes of Claudio Vargas (1.78 ERA in 28 appearances), Mitch Stetter (left-handed specialist who set a team record with 15 consecutive outs recorded by strikeout), and Carlos Villanueva (inconsistent former starter with good stuff).

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Middle Infield:

American revolutionary John Paul Jones once said that those who will not risk cannot win. Was he envisioning a 21st century Brewers’ middle infield? In entrusting second base to Rickie Weeks and shortstop to Alcides Escobar, the Brewers are taking a bit of a gamble. Weeks was off to the best start of his career last year (.272, nine homers) before a season-ending wrist injury in May, and therein lies the rub. The hard-swinging, shaky-fielding former first-round draft pick has yet to prove he can stay healthy and productive over the course of an entire season. The slick fielding Escobar performed well enough in a brief stint in Milwaukee last year to force the trade of under performing vet J.J. Hardy. Whether the 23-year old Escobar is truly ready to handle the load for an entire season is a risk the Brewers are willing to take.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Corners:

Fielder continues to put up the kind of numbers that remind Brewer fans of the good 01′ days of Harvey’s Wallbangers. He may go down in history as the wallbangingest Brewer of them all; he set a franchise record with 141 RBI’s last year while hitting .299 with 46 homers. Perhaps most impressive, his franchise- record 110 walks allowed him to compile a .412 on-base percentage. He even shored up his fielding, committing only seven errors. Third baseman Casey McGehee was the Brewers’ most pleasant surprise last year, wrestling the job away from veteran Bill Hall and highly touted rookie Mat Gamel with 16 homers and 66 RBI’s in only 116 games.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Outfield:

British poet William Congreve said that uncertainty is one of the joys of life. He’d be positively giddy about the Brewers outfield, though he might not think Braun was all that fun. The 26-year old left fielder continues to cement his place as one of the game’s top young stars, leading the NL in hits (203) while becoming the second Brewer ever with at least 30 homers and 20 steals in a season. The free swinger’s one weakness at the plate remains his strikeout to walk ratio, a price Milwaukee is willing to pay in exchange for his production. In center field, the Brewers are going with the promising but raw Carlos Gomez, acquired from Minnesota in the Hardy trade. Gomez couldn’t hold down a starting job for the Twins, and his inability to get on base (.292 career OBP) negates his speed. Corey Hart returns in right field. Once considered a rising star, Hart has gone through stretches since the ’08 playoffs where he looks completely lost at the plate. His .260 average last year was his lowest as a Brewer regular, but his combination of speed and power keeps hopes high for a rebound.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Catching:

In an effort to save a little cash, the Brewers are handing the starting job over to 38-year old journeyman Gregg Zaun while they wait on promising prospects like Jonathan Lucroy and Angel Salome to arrive. Zaun says his legs are still fresh after so many years as a backup. The Brewers appear to be buying into that glass-half- full outlook.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Bench:

Virtually any production off the bench would be an improvement; Brewer pinch hitters hit a miserly .175 with one homer last year. Veteran Craig Counsell returns for another season as utility man after a surprisingly productive year at the plate in ’09 (primarily when pressed into starting duty), while Gamel will have another shot to make the team in spring training. Veteran Jody Gerut, who has some decent pop in his bat, provides depth in the outfield.

Milwaukee Brewers 2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the Milwaukee Brewers will finish 3rd in the NL Central Division.

Milwaukee Brewers 5-Year Win Trend

2009: 3rd NL Central 80
2008: 2nd NL Central 90
2007: 2nd NL Centlal 83
2006: 4th NL Central 75
2005: 3rd NL Central 81

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