Milwaukee Brewers: Top 5 players from 2018

Lorenzo Cain

The other portion of the Milwaukee Brewers dynamic duo is Lorenzo Cain. The Brewers were able to bring Cain back to Milwaukee in free agency this past off season.

Cain has been Mr. Consistent for the Brewers all season, both offensively and defensively. He’s never really gone through a slump this season, which is amazing. Cain’s slowest month at the plate came in May where he still had a batting average of .274, with an OBP of .373. Those are very good numbers, especially when that is considered his “down” month.

Much of Cain’s success at the plate is due to his patience. Rarely will he swing at pitches out of the strike zone. That with his ability to make contact to get the ball in play make him an incredibly difficult out.

As impressive as Yelich’s numbers on offense are, Cain is not too far behind. On the season Cain is tied with Yelich for highest WAR in the NL at 7.0. He has a batting average of .310, which is good for third best in the NL. His OBP is at .400 and is also third best in the NL in that category.

But what may be the most overlooked aspect of Cain’s game is his defense. Cain leads all NL center fielders in Defensive WAR at 2.4. He also leads the NL in outfield assists at 11 on the season and is tied for first in double plays from center field.

What makes Cain so good in center is his athleticism. He is able to play shallow compared to other outfielders because he has the speed to get to just about any fly ball that is hit over his head towards the warning track. We’ve seen a number of spectacular catches from Cain this season at the wall.

Cain hasn’t received the same national media attention as some players but with his all around play, he very much deserves to be in the NL MVP conversation.