Reviewing the Brew’s Brewer Awards: Pitcher of the Year

The starting rotation in 2013 was extremely up and down for the Milwaukee Brewers, but it had its fair share of disappointing performances. Kyle Lohse however turned out to be a diamond in the rough for the Brew Crew, which is why the staff voted him as the team’s pitcher of the year.

Kyle Lohse was the best Brewers’ starter this season. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Lohse was by and far the bright spot of a Brewers’ rotation that steered off the tracks early on in the season. The acquisition of Lohse was one that many fans questioned as it had come in March and some wondered if giving the then 34-year-old (now 35) veteran a three year deal was worth it, especially since the team lost their first round draft pick. Fortunately enough, Lohse rewarded the Brewers for the contract they gave him as in 2013, he put together another solid season in the major leagues.

April was a fantastic start for Lohse’s beginnings in Milwaukee as he posted a 2.53 ERA in 32 innings (five starts) while striking out 21 batters and only walking two. May was a bit different for him as he had an ERA above 6.00, but in all honesty the team did pretty poorly that month.

During the following months, Lohse stood out as the top pitcher on the entire staff. He had sub 2.35 ERAs in June and July with a little bit of a rise in August. In September, Lohse had an ERA of 3.18 and was by far the Brewers’ most consistent starter on the roster.

Breaking down his 2013, Lohse posted some numbers that were a little below 2012’s, but in the grand scheme of things this season, he was an ace in the staff. For instance his K/9 was down and he had a rise in his FIP, but he still proved to be the top dog of the rotation. On his last start of the season, Lohse lobbed a two-hit, complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves, something that was nearly impossible for the team as a whole this season.

His numbers on the season were rather impressive considering his late signing. Lohse was 11-10 with an ERA of 3.35 and a WAR of 1.8 in 198.2 innings (32 starts). He had K/9 of 5.66, an opponent’s BABIP of .276 and a BAA of .256.

It will be interesting to see how Lohse fares next season after his debut year with the Brewers in 2013. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lohse as the number one ahead of Wily Peralta and Yovani Gallardo. He did well enough to win the staff’s pitcher of the year award, so here’s hoping that he can give us a repeat performance next season.