Milwaukee Brewers’ Grades: Tyler Thornburg

This was not at all the year that Tyler Thornburg was looking for. Coming back from a season that saw him dominate out of the bullpen in the early going before injury, Thornburg struggled out of the gates and spent much of his time in AAA, working to try to regain his form to be an option as a starter. But after a trying time in the Colorado Springs rotation, Thornburg instead returned to the Brewers’ bullpen to close out the year. Here is a look at his year in review.

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After last season, Thornburg’s first month of the season was disappointing. In six April outings, he allowed six runs in 9.2 innings and boasted an ERA of 5.59. From here he went down to start in Colorado Springs, where he had very limited success in 17 starts.

Though his numbers as a starter weren’t great in AAA, he returned to the Brewers’ bullpen after the spree of deals around the deadline. Here he again was able to prove himself as a steady bullpen arm. He finished the second half of the year with a 2.87 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .189 batting average in his final 15.2 innings of work.

His final stretch helped to prove that he has the talent to still be a valued arm on the roster while staying healthy all year long. While the 27-year-old bounced back and forth throughout his career, I have a feeling that Thornburg will be back next season in the team’s bullpen on opening day (especially considering that he is out of options).

Final Grade: C-

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