Milwaukee Brewers: Five impact players down the stretch

Only 40 games remain in the MLB season for the Milwaukee Brewers. For them to have success down the stretch, these five players will have to step up.

This season is far from over for the Milwaukee Brewers. The playoffs are well within reach. They trail the Chicago Cubs by only one game. A hot month of baseball could put the Brewers back on top of the NL Central.

Chase Anderson is on the mend and should rejoin the rotation before the end of August. Before he was hurt, he was the ace of this staff. In the meantime, Jimmy Nelson has emerged as a workhorse for the staff. The rest of the rotation has been shaky, at best. Junior Guerra is in the minors, along with Wily Peralta. Matt Garza has been unreliable. It’s that third pitcher that the Brew Crew needs to step up down the stretch.

The bullpen will get a boost when the calendar flips to September. With the expanded rosters, the “fresh” arms from the Minors will help ease the heavy burden the pen has carried all season. Corey Knebel has been as dominant as anybody in baseball. It’s the man responsible for the eighth inning that needs to step back up.

The offense is the same story as always. Hitting a lot of home runs, with far too many strikeouts. Defensively, Orlando Arcia has solidified the shortstop position. The Milwaukee Brewers need more consistency from second base in order to make a September run.

The Milwaukee Brewers are among the steakiest teams in baseball. If they start to hit home runs, like they did over the first few months of the season, the National League is in trouble. These players are crucial for a strong finish.