Reviewing The Brew
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Milwaukee Brewers: The top 5 shortstops in franchise history

By Tom Kurtz

COOPERSTOWN, NY - JULY 25: Baseball icon Willie Mays talks with Hall of famer Robin Yount during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 25, 20010 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NY - JULY 25: Baseball icon Willie Mays talks with Hall of famer Robin Yount during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 25, 20010 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – 1989: Robin Yount #19 of the Milwaukee Brewers leads off the base during a game in the 1989 season against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – 1989: Robin Yount #19 of the Milwaukee Brewers leads off the base during a game in the 1989 season against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

1. Robin Yount

Years as a Brewer: 1974-1984

Obviously the gap between #1 and the rest of this list is massive. That says a lot about the 11 seasons Robin Yount roamed shortstop before a shoulder injury moved him to the outfield. It also says something about the star-crossed position for the Brewers.

Yount did have a rocky start to his career defensively. He had an ugly 44 errors at the age of 19 in his 2nd pro season. He eventually settled down. In arguably his best season in the 1982 World Series year, Yount won the American League Gold Glove to go along with his MVP.

Yount was off the charts offensively in ’82. He hit 29 home runs, had 114 RBI’s, scored 129 runs, hit 46 doubles, and had an OPS of .957. That season alone would have secured the top spot on this list.

“The Kid” was also an All-Star a total of 3 times playing shortstop for the Brewers. His 80 strikeouts in 1977 was the most he had in that 11-year stretch. It was a different game, but the lack of strikeouts showed his competitiveness. Yount reached base, scored runs, and was a master at hustling for more than just a single. He averaged nearly 48 extra base hits during the first half of his career playing shortstop. And he was a surefire Hall of Famer that spent his entire career in Milwaukee.

The future of shortstop in Milwaukee

The Brewers have had a lot of young talent that has not always realized their full potential in Milwaukee. Will Arcia be the next Brewers SS to follow that path? Their hope is that he can figure it out and get his swing back to what it was last year. The defense is clearly there.

However, if history shows us anything, Arcia may not live up to those standards in Milwaukee. It just is how the position has gone. The Brewers do have Mauricio Dubon, who they obtained with Travis Shaw from Boston for Tyler Thornburg. He was having a breakthrough season in Colorado Springs this season before an ACL tear has clouded his future a bit.

The Brewers also drafted a SS in the 1st round of the 2018 Draft in Brice Turang. He has not signed as of this writing and could take a scholarship to LSU. The decision could be a big one for the Brewers.

Next: The Top 5 Centerfielders in Franchise History

The shortstop position could become a position of need sooner than most thought as recently as last season. Historically, that seems to be par for the course for the Milwaukee Brewers after Yount moved to CF in 1985.

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