Players from across the pond that have turned into stars include names like Ichiro, Hideo Nomo, Hideki Matsui, and, most recently,

Aoki is poised for another productive season in right field. (Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports)

Yu Darvish. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kosuke Fukudome represent a large inability to live up to the hype (and money). Matsuzaka and his mythical gyroball created for arguably the most anticipated Japanese player signing when Boston brought him over in 2007, but following two seasons and a 33-15 record, “Dice-K” was paid $10 million to have a 8.28 earned run average last season; Fukudome, meanwhile, is now back playing in Japan after his four-year, $48 million tenure with the Cubs fell through rapidly.

For the first time in the Doug Melvin tenure, Milwaukee actively pursued what would be referred to as a “transfer” in the soccer world in Norichika Aoki. With the Darvish signing in Texas, the Brewers’ acquisition of Aoki went largely unnoticed–until he started playing, that is.

The expectations of Aoki,31, were nothing near the weight of the century-long championship-starved franchise that was placed on Fukudome or the markings of “the next Ichiro” put on Kazuo Matsui. He joined an already-crowded outfield featuring the reigning MVP, the franchise right fielder since 2007, the fan favorite and playoff hero coming off a career year, and a speedy defensive whiz in center.

Thus, when Aoki stole thirty bases, hit .288 and had a .355 OBP, it was something not seen coming. Injuries to half the team (or just about, essentially) and a sudden transformation from Tony Plush to Tony Hush gave the fastest player to reach 500 hits in Japan a shot to play every day.

Now, the right field spot is his for, well, as long as he doesn’t regress, which may be an interesting case to watch.

On defense, Aoki has a good first step and instincts–often making for highlight reel plays–but lacks a strong arm. He saved 5 runs on defense yet had a -0.9 UZR, per Fangraphs. Basically, what we’re saying is you know you’ll get a sound defensive player.

AOKI POKIE! (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

The most eye-catching part of Aoki’s 2012 rookie campaign was his amassing of infield hits.

His 34 infield hits led all of baseball, which doesn’t really match his .304 BABIP and all that is confusing to me, so pardon the run on sentence here. Digressing, 13.5 percent of all Aoki’s hits came via infield knocks, a number that in all likelihood should regress in 2013.

But Aoki won’t be completely useless without leading the league in infield hits, right?

Correct.

The Brewers have a guy who just knows how to get on base, deftly put. You can still expect 25 or more infield knocks, plus his ability to hit to all fields suits him well and helps keep him out of slumps. Only at 31, hitting isn’t the issue with Aoki, who is still only a few years removed from a batting title with the Yokult Swallows.

Furthermore, he will draw his fair share of walks and steal plenty of bases with Ron Roenicke as manager, suiting him well the for the two-slot in the order.

2013 RtB Predictions: .283/.360/.428, 155 G, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 27 SB, 88 R, 2.6 WAR, a plethora of #AokiPokie’s 

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To view previous season outlooks, click here. To view last year’s previews, go here.

Norichika Aoki led the MLB in infield hits in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Today’s statistic: 158 infield hits

The Brewers collected 158 infield hits in 2012 which was the most in major league baseball. And who led the team in these pesky hits? None other than the former Japanese star Norichika Aoki who actually racked up the most infield hits in all of baseball with 34.

Of Milwaukee’s 158 infield hits, 40 of them were off bunts, once again proving their manager Ron Roenicke encourages bunting and has no problem using small ball tactics. Now, the majority of infield hits are just a matter of luck, whether it’s a perfectly placed swinging bunt between the pitcher and third baseman or a comebacker to the mound that ricochets off the pitcher. But even though luck is involved, speed also plays a crucial part. The Brewers led the MLB in stolen bases (158) last season meaning they have unbelievable speed to burn and exhibiting that led to their massive amount of infield hits.

With Aoki destined to be the opening day right fielder, something he wasn’t in 2012, the Brewers infield hits will rise in 2013. In addition, Milwaukee will have speedy outfielder Logan Schafer on the bench who you can mark down for at least 10 infield hits and God only knows how many grounders Jean Segura will beat out.

How many infield hits do you see the Brewers getting this season?

Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

Now, this team is, by almost all definitions, a young team with talent budding in all areas, ready to flourish and hopefully carry this team to another playoff run. Gone are Prince Fielder, Zack Greinke, and the drastically talent-diminished K-Rod. Braun still remains, though with controversy swirling around him like a swarm of bees to honey, and Weeks is still trying to rehab from a horrific ankle injury that kept him from finding his bat until after the All-Star break in 2012.

I’ll go ahead and tell you now, there are a few certainties on this team, barring some catastrophic injuries (please, for the love of God, let us get through this Spring and the World Baseball Classic only missing Mat Gamel). Guys like Ryan Braun, Corey Hart (once healthy), Aramis Ramirez, and Yovani Gallardo are all proven major leaguers, and I will not classify them as wildcards.

We’re going to take a look at the three biggest wildcards, both from the field, and from the mound, so six players altogether. Part one will be the three position players, and part two will contain the pitchers.

Let’s get started.

1: Jean Segura

Segura was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Greinke to the Los Angeles Angels last season. The Brewers also got a couple of great minor league pitchers out of the deal (Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena), but neither are likely to see time with the Brewers this season. Segura is, even with the addition of veteran Alex Gonzalez, Milwaukee’s starting shortstop entering the 2013 season. Last season, his first in the majors, wasn’t all that bad. He finished off his time in Milwaukee with a slashline of .264/.321/.331, knocked in 14 RBIs, and stole seven bases in 148 at-bats with the Brew Crew.

Numbers that don’t sparkle, but they don’t tell the whole story, either. After a slow start in August, hitting just .209 with the Brewers, Segura seemed to finally figure out major league pitching, and finished the season strong, going for a .343 BA in the month of September. We also saw his versatility as a middle-infielder, both at shortstop and second base, and is a potential Gold Glover in the future.

Segura is one of the fastest players on this team, and with a full season, it’s likely he’ll steal at least 30 bases. He might add a little bit of pop and hit a few homers, but don’t expect much power out of him. Segura has the potential to be a guy who gets on base frequently, and will be a constant threat to steal. He’ll also take away many hits up the center as he improves his already impressive fielding.

2: Carlos Gomez

Gomez shouldn’t have to be on this list… he’s been in the majors for six years now. He was once viewed by the New York Mets as a super-prospect, and is the only player Jose Reyes has openly admitted is faster than he is. Gomez, though a six-year vet, is still only 26 years old (he was the youngest player in the MLB when he was called up by the Mets his rookie year). Once viewed as a potential five-tool player, Gomez has never quite found his offensive footing in the majors. Until last season.

He’s always been a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder, and as this team’s full-time CF for the first time in his career, he very well may be in the running for that award this season. He’s also always had unbelievable speed and baserunning skills. The problem has always been getting on base. Before last season, Gomez only had one season in which he hit above .250 (2008 when he hit .258 with the Minnesota Twins), and he doesn’t do a great job of getting on base period, unable to draw many walks. His career slashline of .247/.294/.379 is ugly to look at. His previous career high in homers in a season was 8, in 2011 with the Brew Crew.

But last season, Gomez found his offensive footing and completely exploded… and I don’t think it was a fluke. Gomez put together a much-improved slashline of .260/.305/.463, slugged an impressive 19 homers, drove in 51 runs, and stole 37 bases… all of this in only 415 at-bats, as he spent the first part of the season with very little playing time.

Gomez will rob teams of runs thanks to his defensive prowess in center. He is the fastest player on this team, and will probably steal over 40 bases playing in a full-time capacity. If he can match that power and continue to just hit the ball and continue to find more discipline at the plate, Gomez is going to be a HUGE key for the Brewers.

3: Jonathan Lucroy

I truly can’t wait to see Jonathan Lucroy play for a full season. Seriously. He’s been flying under the general public’s radar for the past three seasons, but I think he’s about to emerge as one of the best catchers in the game. If it weren’t for injuries last season, Lucroy could’ve hit 20+ homers and 90+ RBIs, to go along with his slashline of .320/.368/.513. As it was, in 316 at-bats, Lucroy gave the Brewers 12 homers and 58 RBIs, respectable by any catcher’s standards. But you tack on another 200 at-bats, and Lucroy is going to be as big of an offensive cog as anyone on this team, except perhaps Braun.

You add that on to the fact that Lucroy is already a defensive-minded catcher, with a sure glove and a strong arm—teams might not know much about him yet, but they will soon. He fits the title of catcher of the future in Milwaukee, just like Segura fits the title of SS of the future. Both of these positions have been in question for years, but Segura and Lucroy are filling those holes, and filling them in big ways. If Lucroy stays healthy, don’t be surprised to see him hit around .320-.330, hit 20-25 homers, and drive in 90-100 RBIs.

I’m just saying… Yadier Molina and Buster Posey… it’s time to watch out for Jonathan Lucroy.

So that’s it for part one.

I had a tough time not including Norichika Aoki, a rejuvenated Rickie Weeks, and Alex Gonzalez to this list, but I have my reasons. Nori put together one heck of a rookie season with the Brew Crew, but I (unlike many others) saw it coming. I think he’s only going to get better, but I think teams got the message last season… he’s got some pop in his bat, he can hit for average, he’s a good fielder, and he’s much faster on the bases than anyone thought.

Weeks has been a huge part of this offense before, and despite hitting 20 homers last season, still had a subpar season. When he finally found his bat halfway through, he helped bring the Brewers back into contention. I expect another normal bounce-back season for Weeks. Batting average of around .260, 25 or so homers, and 15 or so stolen bases, along with some spectacular plays on defense, and some spectacular blunders on defense as well.

Gonzalez has never played any position but shortstop in the majors, but he’s very likely going to be asked to be a utility infielder this season, especially with the glaring hole at first base until Hart comes back a month into the season. He’ll hit like he normally does, and he’s an excellent defender, so I think he can acclimate to first base, which is, on the whole, easier to play than shortstop.

All three of those guys, and anyone I didn’t mention, are going to be huge for this team. But I think Segura, Gomez, and Lucroy are really the quiet giants that are going to surprise teams the most this season.

In part two of this brief series, I’ll discuss the three pitchers who I think will have wildcard-like seasons with the Brewers.

This is just th tip of the iceberg Brewers fans. Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

When Ichiro Suzuki first came to the Seattle Mariners in 2001, he was the first Japanese born position player to start for a major league team.  This was groundbreaking enough, but then Ichiro proceeded to win the Rookie of the Year and the AL MVP.  As if that wasn’t enough, he rattled off 10 consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits (a mark that I suspect will never be broken).  After 11 full seasons in the big leagues, Ichiro continues to produce…even at the ripe old age of 39 (he will be 40 in October of this season). 

Even though there have been many Japanese players to come and go since Ichiro first starting roaming Right Field in Seattle, when I watch Norichika Aoki play…I see a lot of similarities that I have not seen in past Japanese imports.

They both bat left-handed, but throw right-handed.  Both spent a large chunk of their careers playing in Japan’s Pacific League, Ichiro for 9 years and Aoki for 8 years.  They both have a very unorthodox approach at the plate that can only be described as “unique”.  Most importantly, they come from a country where players are expected to play into their 40’s.  Ichiro is almost there and is signed with the Yankees through 2014, which would make him 41. 

Now Ichiro has a 3 year head start.  In his first full season he was 27, while Nori was already 30.  But let’s just take a look at their rookie season stats:

Ichiro: 157 G, 738 PA, 127 R, 242 H, 34 doubles, 8 HR, 69 RBI, 56 SB, .350 BA, and .381 OBP

Aoki: 151 G, 588 PA, 81 R, 150 H, 37 doubles, 10 HR, 50 RBI, 30 SB, .288 BA, and .355 OBP

Clearly Ichiro’s season was one that could never be matched, but for the sake of my article let’s dissect this a little bit.  Ichiro had an additional 150 plate appearances, and that is something we really need to keep in mind.  However, when I look at these stats side by side, I see some things that I really like.  Aoki had more doubles and more home runs, which means he has more pop in his bat.  But really look at the difference between batting average and on-base percentage…

It is no secret that Ichiro does not walk, which is why every-single-year… I had to listen to Seattle sports radio personalities’ debate moving Ichiro out of the lead-off spot.  Their arguments were valid.  Now look at Aoki.  The guy is getting on base at a 35% clip, which is all you can ask of your lead-off man. 

This stuff is nice, but here is where I really want this article to go.

We need to lock up Aoki to a long-term deal.

Before you accuse me of smoking to much Marijuana in my time living in Washington state, hear me out. 

Ichiro’s most productive years as an offensive weapon were from ages 32-36.  In that 5 season span, he racked up over 1,000 hits, stole almost 200 bases, and scored 475 runs.  

Aoki just turned 31.  I think it is safe to assume that as he gets more comfortable with major league pitchers, he is only going to get better.  In my opinion, you have to re-negotiate with him for more money and more years.  This is not one of those wait and see situation.  There are too many similarities between Aoki and Ichiro.  Too me, the biggest one is longevity. 

If Aoki has another 10 years in him, the Brewers need to keep him for at least 6-7 of those, especially if Ichiro is an indicator of things to come.  If we use Ichiro’s career to sort of project what is to come from Aoki, his age 32-36 seasons would average out to look something like this:

Aoki Projection: 155 G, 677 PA, 97 R, 173 H, 38 doubles, 13 HR, 72 RBI, 36 SB, .316 BA, and a .378 OBP

Now obviously this is a projection I made up using my limited math skills (I have not taken a legitimate math class since my Junior year of High School…2000)  If those numbers actually came to fruition, how happy would we be that this guy is our lead-off man?  These are not unrealistic numbers, should Aoki get a full season worth of at-bats.  Isn’t this someone who should get paid? 

Now, I will admit that I am jumping the gun a little bit.  But if Aoki goes out in April and May and is tearing up the place, we need to open up the pocket book and pay this guy.  Think about how long it has been since we had a consistent (and legitimate) lead-off batter.  By my calculations, Scott Podsednik, 2003-2004.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am not willing to wait another decade for a “real” lead-off man.

Look, I am not saying that Aoki is going to be the 2^nd coming of Ichiro.  What I am saying is, there are enough similarities between these two players that you can draw the conclusion that Aoki is going to be at his most productive in the coming years.  We only have him locked up for this year, with an option for 2014.  That does not work for me.  Having seen Ichiro play in person 20-plus times, I can tell you that they both play the same way (accept Aoki dives for the ball in the outfield).  If we let Aoki walk, we are going to regret it.  Mark my words.  You can call me on this. 

Watching Ichiro in Seattle for the past 6 baseball seasons, I learned that these Japanese players work so hard at staying healthy and productive.  If you think Aoki is going to crap out once he hits 34, you have another thing coming.  In the Japanese leagues, you are just a kid until you are 35!!  They come from a different world, where home runs and PED’s are not as important as consistency and going station to station.  If that is what you want out of your lead-off man and what the organization wants, sign Aoki by the end of May.  If you don’t, his value may rise too quickly for you to even have a shot.  The time is now. 

Who would have thought that watching years of Mariners baseball would finally pay off? 

Apr 22, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Mat Gamel (24) drives in a run with a double in the fourth inning against Colorado Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez (55) at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Gamel, who was once considered a top prospect in the Brewers organization, has failed to show off his talent in the big leagues. Last season, he was all set to replace the departed Prince Fielder and become the everyday first baseman. He arrived at Spring Training stronger than ever and brought along an improved work ethic. Expectations were soaring and he seemed finally ready to meet them. However, his campaign was brief and disappointing as he only managed a .246 average before a torn ACL ended his season.

With the emergence of Hart at first base, I have been clamoring for the Brewers to trade always-has-tobacco-in-his-mouth Gamel. I believe the Brewers could receive a seasoned reliever in exchange for him. Gamel still has major upside and I bet there are a lot of teams willing to take the risk. Now, it looks like the Brewers did the right thing by hanging on to him.

But this should be Gamel’s LAST chance to prove himself. No more waiting around and hoping he finds his polarizing swing. I don’t care what his Triple-A statistics were. I don’t care that he hit 28 home runs in 2011. If his stats don’t transfer to the majors, they are meaningless. Take Brooks Conrad for example. He absolutely dominated in Triple-A last year but couldn’t buy a hit when he was called up. If Gamel doesn’t produce while Hart is rehabbing his knee, I don’t see a scenario where the Brewers keep him on the team…especially when they have Hunter Morris waiting in the wings.

However, if Gamel shows his full potential, the Brewers will have a tough decision to make. Should they hang on to him or trade him?

If they decide to keep him, moving him to the outfield or back to third base may be the best option. There will be no place for him at first base with either Hart or Morris holding it down. By trading him, they might just get back a solid veteran starter who they failed to sign in the offseason. If I were calling the shots, I would go with the latter.

The one thing Gamel has going for him is that he is a left-handed power hitter. Granted, his power has been nowhere to be found, but nonetheless, it’s there…somewhere. But the key is that he’s a lefty. The Brewers have been without a boisterous and dynamic left-handed bat since Fielder left. At the very least, Gamel will provide some consistency. He will join Norichika Aoki as Milwaukee’s only left-handed hitters in the starting lineup.

The Brewers were already going to be in an uphill climb to win the N.L. Central and with Gamel manning first, that hill just became steeper. Hart has a signifcantly better bat and impressed everyone with his finesse fielding skills last year. Gamel is clearly on a lower level, but his potential alone makes him someone to watch closely.

I’ll be full-heartedly but carefully rooting for Gamel. No one would be happier to see him succeed than me. Here’s to hoping Gamel takes full advantage of yet another opportunity.

Congratulations on a fantastic first year in the Major Leagues. I know it didn’t end the way that many Milwaukee Brewers fans would like it to – that is, as a finalist or recipient of the NL Rookie of the Year award – but you ought to be very proud regardless.

You came to America during a season that saw some of the best rookie talent in years, and you proved to be a big part of that class. Here’s the thing, though: I want you to be the biggest name in baseball. I have some advice for you in 2013 in order to achieve the level of notoriety as, oh, let’s just say Bryce Harper.

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Entering the final series of the season, 13.0 percent of Aoki’s hits had come via the infield variety, which is double the league average of

Sept 1, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pinch hitter Norichika Aoki (7) reaches first base on a bunt single and then advances to second base after the ball gets by Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones (46) on a throwing error by catcher Rod Barajas (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

6.5 percent. After beating out a grounder to San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera in the first and receiving a, um, generous call at first on a tapper in front of the mound, that percentage jumped up to 14.1, best in the majors (surpassing….Edwin Encarnacion. You can’t make this stuff up.)

The .290 hitter that Aoki is through his 511 at-bats he sits at as I write this wouldn’t look so impressive is his infield hits were at a league average percentage. At a 6.5 IFH %, the 30-year-old rookie would be a .265 hitter; though that figure isn’t shabby by any means, it figures to have cost the Brewers a fair amount of runs over the course of the season. That’s a 25-point batting average raise as a result of Aoki’s bat control, timing, and speed.

Aoki’s infield hit prowess has led to 16 more hits than the average batter. Though runs are a stat far too subjective to reliance on other batters to read too much into this, but, on the season, Aoki averages a run every 2.6 times he reaches base. With 16 more hits than the “league average” player, that amounts to 6.15 runs on the season (technically 6 because, well, you can’t score .15 runs unless the replacement refs suddenly appeared out of an abyss). Throw in any variables such as innings kept alive by Aoki’s legs and homers Weeks, Braun, or Ramirez may have blasted, and, odds are, you’re looking at 7 to 8 runs created by his legs alone.

Aoki’s IFH%, however, will almost assuredly drop next season. He turns 31 and will lose some of those “lucky” bounces off the bat that he received this year. But, much like Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and the nearly-immeasurable framing runs saved for catchers, Aoki’s infield hits have provided a solid lift at the top of a 200-homer mashing lineup. Hooray, runs created!

Norichika Aoki winding up for an at-bat. I say winding up, because it seems to be the only way to truly describe it. Photo: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Yup!!

Now, this is coming from a guy who has made a lot of crazy calls and claims in his time writing on this site. But there is no doubt in my mind that based on his performance this season, the Brewers would be wise to lock him up for at least another 3 years. Norichika Aoki has been the most valuable player on this team during their second half run. Is that a crazy statement? Maybe. Does he deserve to get paid based off of this small sample size? Absolutely.

During his time in Japan, Aoki only failed to reach a .300 batting average twice. His rookie season (.200 in 15 AB’s) and his final season in Japan (.292). The dude recorded over 1,000 hits by the start of his 6th season as a starter for the Yakult Swallows. Aoki hit 84 HR’s and drove in 385 runs in 6 full seasons. Those are not the stats of a guy who is just a “fluke”.

Right this second, we have Nori locked up through next season, and the team has an option on him for 2014. So, that is not too bad. But by the time that option rolls around, he will only be 32 years old. Which, by American baseball standards is almost at the end of your glory days. By Japanese standards, he will still have 3 to 4 solid years left in the tank. For the sake of comparison, Ichiro Suzuki had 200 hits in each season from the age of 32 until he turned 36. Now Nori is not Ichiro, I know that and you know that, but they both came over to the states late in their career and were both the top players in Japan prior to leaving. Take that for what it is worth.

As the lead-off hitter in 2012, Aoki has a .352 on-base percentage. The Brewers have not had a consistent hitter in the #1 spot in…well, I can’t actually remember. Maybe Scott Podsednik? Over the past few seasons, we have gone from Rickie Weeks to Carlos Gomez to Corey Hart and back again, none of whom really excelled as a #1.

The fact is, playoff teams have to have to have a solid lead-off hitter. In my humble, and slightly neurotic opinion, Aoki should be batting at the top of our order through 2015. Keep in mind, that he has only started 112 games including today. Imagine a full season…

Since Corey Hart is clearly the teams first baseman of the future, Aoki gives us a solid defensive presence in Right Field. So far he has 8 outfield assists, 2 double plays, and has only committed 3 errors in 228 chances. Corey Hart only played in the outfield in 49 games, he had 82 chances for putouts, and made 2 errors. Aoki is a major upgrade.

Let us also realize that by signing him this winter, the Brewers will be getting him at a steal. If they wait until next season to try and re-sign him, it may be too late. Something tells me that this guy is on the verge of being an All-Star outfielder. By looking at the Brewers history of contract signings, they tend to lean towards signing long-term deals pretty early to avoid Prince Fielder-esque situations. This bodes well for retaining Aoki’s services for the long-term.

Her are the stats: .285 BA, .352 OBP, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 28 SB, 52 K’s (in 552 plate appearances), and 34 doubles. THAT…is a lead-off hitter ladies and gents. If this team is going to make a run at the pennant, we need Aoki. Even though we have him, we need to make sure he is a part of the core of our team while we are still able to sniff the World Series.

In closing, we need Norichika Aoki. He deserves a contract. He deserves his own sushi bar in the right field bleachers. More importantly, we as Brewers fans deserve Aoki.

Update: In Tonight’s game against the Red’s, Aoki has a HR, 2 RBI’s, 3 hits, and 2 runs scored.  Pushing his season average to .289 … Somebody pay the man!!!!

The team themselves admitted they didn’t know a lot about Aoki going forward, and there was a small amount of risk involved in even giving him a workout. They had no position for him going into 2012, and the money to give him a look seemed steep for a player that wasn’t necessarily on a lot of team’s radars.

Hindsight, as you know, is frequently 20/20. Besides the acquisition of Aramis Ramirez in the off-season and Zack Greinke two years ago, the Brewers have never quite struck gold like they have with Aoki.

We here at Reviewing the Brew are unabashedly in love with the 30-year old rookie. Nothing would make us happier than seeing the slap-happy right fielder bring home some hardware in 2012, but we must remain as objective as possible. Therefore, we present the case for and against Norichika Aoki and his rookie season.

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