Milwaukee Brewers: Welcome Back Junior Guerra

The Milwaukee Brewers are getting a fairly surprising performance from Junior Guerra.

As a person who was well documented against Junior Guerra being back in the rotation, this is a pleasant surprise. With all of the questions in the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen and the early struggles, it is nice to see Guerra stepping up.

I am not ashamed to admit that I was leading the pack of Guerra doubters. To this point I am wrong, and it feels nice. The hope is that he will keep it up, but he has certainly solidified his spot in the rotation for now.

2018 Performance

It has been only three starts. But so far, Guerra has 16 innings in those three appearances with 15 strikeouts. So far a total of two runs have scored with the 33 year old righty on the mound, and only one is earned. Entering his start against the Marlins, which might be his best yet, Guerra boasted an FIP of 2.74.

The Negatives

In those 16 innings, Guerra has walked a lot of guys. Six to be exact. However, before his five innings and one walk against the Marlins, that rate looked a lot worse. The walks only become an issue when they start to hurt him. The short term is not an issue, but who is to say what will happen in the long run.

It is also worth noting that his starts have come against some less than stellar teams. So far, Besides a talented St. Louis Cardinals lineup, Guerra has squared off against the Cincinnati Reds and the Miami Marlins.

How Long Will Guerra Keep It Up?

This is not going to be new information, Guerra surpassed rookie limits in the wrong side of 30. His performance will be wonderful this year, but he was never the long term answer for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The way I see it, if Guerra can remain competitive until the younger arms are mature and ready, his job will be done. Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes are very close. Brandon Woodruff is ready right now. So the youth and talent is on the way. Unfortunately for Guerra, that means his days in the rotation might be more limited than they seem.

Next: Wade Miley Vs. Brent Suter

Either way, Guerra is proving that he belongs, at least in the short term. That is good for the Milwaukee Brewers rotation this year. As the future is maturing in Colorado Springs, Guerra can hold down the fort in 2018. He is reliable so far, and he is starting to look like his rookie year self from two years ago.