Milwaukee Brewers: 2018 New Year’s Resolutions for the Crew

Chase Anderson

• Repeat success
• Stay healthy

Chase Anderson broke out in a big way in 2017 and it earned him a contract extension. He needs to repeat that success to prove he is a legitimate front of the rotation option for the Milwaukee Brewers going forward. Also, if he could not injure himself on a swing this year, that would be great as well.

Zach Davies

• Pitch better at Miller Park
• Go deeper into games

Zach Davies was terrible at home, posting a 5.48 ERA in Miller Park and opponents hit .307 against him there. His tremendous numbers on the road evened out his stat line, but he’s likely going to be the #2 starter to begin the year. If he’s going to live up to that billing, he needs to be better at home. It took Davies a month and a half to get past the sixth inning in a start. He earned a Quality Start in only 45% of his starts and he should strive to increase that number.

Jhoulys Chacin

• Find consistency

Jhoulys Chacin has been up and down through his entire career. One year he’s good and the next he’s not. It’s been a trend for him since 2012. He’s coming off a good year which means he’s in line for a down year. Chacin needs to prevent that from happening and keep his ERA below 4.00 this year.

Yovani Gallardo

• Cut walks in half

When Yovani Gallardo was pitching at the top of the rotation with the Milwaukee Brewers the first time, he was sitting around 3.0 BB/9. However, in the past two years, where he’s been mostly ineffective, Gallardo allowed well over 4.0 BB/9. His strikeout numbers have also decreased from around 9.0 K/9 to about 6.0 K/9 of late. With the increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Jimmy Nelson

• Recover from injury in record time
• Return to form

Jimmy Nelson‘s shoulder injury has the Milwaukee Brewers future hanging in the balance. If he can return fairly quickly and return to the way he was pitching before he got hurt, the Brewers are going to be in a really good spot. He and Anderson would make a great 1-2 punch if they both can repeat their success.

Craig Counsell

• Clinch Playoff berth
• Win NLDS, NLCS, and World Series

Simply put, if these aren’t Craig Counsell’s goals heading into the season, he’s in the wrong profession. Counsell doesn’t seem like he’s in the wrong profession. Especially after the success of the 2017 season, building off of that is vital for this team.

Next: Understanding 2018 ZiPS Projections

If all of these players can achieve their New Year’s Resolutions, this should be a fantastic 2018 season to watch for the Milwaukee Brewers. We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.