Milwaukee Brewers: Elian Herrera Showing His Value

By Pete Schwichtenberg |

Good utility ballplayers are hard to find in Major League Baseball these days. Apart from Ben Zobrist, there are very few players that teams can plug in all-around the diamond and be ok. In Elian Herrera however, the Brewers are finding out that they may have that type of player. While filling in for the injured, Aramis Ramirez, Herrera is looking to prove that he can be a poor-man’s Ben Zobrist.

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After spending much of last season with the Brewers, Herrera began this season in AAA, but it didn’t take long for him to earn his promotion. In his first game action with the Brewers this season with the Brewers’ backs against the wall, he delivered in a big way, launching a grandslam to put the Brewers back in the game.

During his recent hot streak, he has shown again that he can be the spark of energy that the Brewers need to have. By homering in key spots in three straight games, Herrera has helped the team show life, instead of simply cashing it in.

Though the 30-year-old utility man has batted just .256 as a big leaguer and is batting just .228 currently this season, he still provides value each time out.

In his 10 seasons as a minor leaguer, he has shown that he can be a strong hitter. During two of his past three seasons in the minors, he has batted well over .300 while swiping double-digit bases, too.

When Ramirez is healthy he will get his job back, but that doesn’t mean that Herrera will simply be regulated to the bench. With versatility to play second, third, short and the outfield, an ability to hit from both sides of the plate and a contagious energy, his name will be very hard to keep out of the lineup on a daily basis. Not many teams have a luxury of having a player that can do it all, but in Herrera they have their own secret weapon that can fill any role at any time.

Next: Jason Rogers First Big League Home Run

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