Milwaukee Brewers: The playoff situation isn’t looking up right now

The Milwaukee Brewers have had a rough season and things don’t look promising for the remainder of this year as well as next.

This season

The Milwaukee Brewers decided that they were going to go all in with young starters and it didn’t work. Injuries and lack of production has led the team to try to piece a rotation together all year.

For example, when the Brewers took their team picture the other day, the number one, two, and four starters to begin the year were not in the picture.

In addition to the makeshift rotation, the bullpen has struggled most of the year as well. Jeremy Jeffress is not the same pitcher he was last year, Corey Knebel never made it out of spring training because of injury, and Josh Hader has become vulnerable to the long ball.

While the team decided to go young with its rotation, it decided to put considerable financial resources into what was considered an already potent offense. Yasmani Grandal was signed to a large one-year contract, and Mike Moustakas was also brought back on one year deal. Even though both of those players have played well, the offense, which was supposed to be the strength of this team, has been extremely inconsistent.

They have relied heavily on the home run ball and have not hit well with runners in scoring position. In the team photo, they do not have their Opening Day first baseman and third baseman.   Jesus Aguilar was traded, and Travis Shaw is in the minors.

Inconsistency from the pitching staff and offense has lead to a record that is barely above 500%.  In addition, FanGraphs has predicated that the Milwaukee Brewers have a 10% chance of making the playoffs this year. That has dropped considerably in the last month. There is still time to turn it around but there is no question the arrow is pointing down on this team.

Next year

The Milwaukee Brewers go into next year with a lot of question marks. Trades over the last couple of years has led to a decimated farm system. Prior to losing Mauricio Dubon, the Brewers farm system was ranked 30th by Baseball America. The cupboard is not completely bare, but trades over the past couple of years have really impacted its depth.

Grandal and Moustakas are both free agents after this year and will be looking to receive expensive, long term deals. Based on their success this year, it is unlikely that the Milwaukee Brewers will be able to afford to bring both of them back next year. That leaves a hole at third and/or catcher going into next year. Lorenzo Cain regressed offensively and most players his side of thirty don’t suddenly improve as hitters. Ryan Braun will be another year older and will still be making over $20 million per year.

The pitching staff will be a big question mark again with Brandon Woodruff as the team’s only reliable starter. Outside of Woodruff, who has the potential to be a true number one starter,  the Brewers seem to have a collection of starters that are inconsistent, not very good or haven’t reached expectations.

The bullpen will also be a question mark because outside of Hader, who  has also shown vulnerability this year, nobody else has shown that they can be reliable for an entire year.

The Milwaukee Brewers still have a potential MVP candidate in Christian Yelich, a possible true staff ace in Woodruff and one of the best young hitters in Keston Hiura, so while the situation doesn’t look great for next year, there is still some hope for the future.