Milwaukee Brewers: Comparing Lineups In NL Wild Card Game

First Base

Eric Thames vs. Matt Adams

Eric Thames had a resurgent 2019 season. He burst onto the scene in 2017, then regressed and lost playing time to Jesus Aguilar in 2018, then both he and Aguilar struggled out of the gate in 2019. Eventually, Thames got hot and Aguilar couldn’t, eventually getting traded to Tampa Bay.

Thames finished the regular season with a .247/.346/.505 slash line with 25 home runs and a 117 OPS+

It’s kind of a timeshare at first base for the Nationals, with Matt Adams having the bulk of the at-bats, but Ryan Zimmerman and others also get time there. Most of their options are below-average hitters. Adams is hitting .226/.276/.465 with 20 homers and a 83 OPS+.

Edge: Brewers

Second Base

Keston Hiura vs. Asdrubal Cabrera

Keston Hiura has been everything as advertised since joining the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s got a big bat with power, a talented hitter, strikes out a bunch, and is a generally poor defender. But that bat is special. In his rookie year, Hiura hit .303/.368/.570 with 19 homers and a 138 OPS+. He’s going to need to step up in a big way in this game.

Asdrubal Cabrera has really turned around his season with the Nationals. He started in Texas, had a huge slump to start the year, hitting .235 with an 80 OPS+ with the Rangers. Since joining Washington, Cabrera has hit .323/.404/.565 with a 143 OPS+. That’s a huge turnaround, but it’s only in 124 at-bats.

Edge: Brewers

Shortstop

Orlando Arcia vs. Trea Turner

So far in this comparison, the Milwaukee Brewers are 3-for-3. That streak is coming to an end. Orlando Arcia had another rough offensive season, hitting just .223/.283/.350 with a 64 OPS+. He also struggled at times making plays at shortstop. Although, Arcia has been known to kick it up a notch in September and October, having a strong postseason last year.

Trea Turner, however, is one of the best offensive shortstops in the league. Turner finished the regular season hitting .298/.353/.497 with 19 homers, 35 stolen bases, and a 113 OPS+. He’s the leadoff hitter for Washington and is as fast as you’ll see in the big leagues.

Edge: Nationals

Third Base

Mike Moustakas vs. Anthony Rendon

Mike Moustakas has had another good offensive season. After starting the year at second base and Travis Shaw struggling to begin the season, Moose moved back over to his natural position at third. This season, he’s hitting .254/.329/.516 with 35 home runs and a 114 OPS+. He’s come up in some big spots for the Brewers this year.

However, Anthony Rendon has outshined Moustakas this year. Rendon has put himself squarely in the top 5, possibly even the top 3 spots in the NL MVP voting. He hit .319/.412/.598 with 34 homers and a 153 OPS+ this season. Although his batting average dipped in the final week, giving Christian Yelich back-to-back batting titles, he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Edge: Nationals

Left Field

Ryan Braun vs. Juan Soto

This year’s Ryan Braun is a far cry from what he was in his peak years of 2007-2012, but he still put up solid numbers. With his 116 OPS+ this year, he has still never posted an OPS+ below 100 in his entire career. With all the ups and downs, he’s never been a below league-average hitter. His .285/.343/.505 slash line with 22 homers is respectable, and we all can see that the clutch gene is still very much present for Braun.

While it’s the 35 year old veteran in left field for the Milwaukee Brewers, the Nationals have 20 year old sophomore Juan Soto out there. Soto this year has hit .282/.401/.548 with 34 home runs and an OPS+ of 138. This kid has a lot of tools and is a great, young outfielder.

While age and experience can definitely be beneficial in this situation, Braun is also dealing with a calf issue and will definitely be at less than 100% in this game.

Edge: Nationals

Center Field

Lorenzo Cain vs. Victor Robles

Lorenzo Cain should win the Gold Glove this year. We’ve been saying this for years and it hasn’t happened, but it’s hard to argue he’s most deserving at this point. As great as Cain is defensively, he went through some struggles this year at the plate. He finished the season with a .260/.325/.372 slash line with 11 home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 81 OPS+, a huge drop from last season.

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Victor Robles, who has been one of baseball’s top prospects for a few years now, finally got regular playing time this year after the free agent departure of Bryce Harper. Robles hit .255/.326/.419 with 17 home runs, 28 stolen bases, and a 88 OPS+. These two are similar players offensively and both are really good defensive center fielders.

I’m going to give the slight edge here to Cain since his defense is slightly better and his postseason experience will help him out whereas Robles has none.

Edge: Brewers

Right Field

Trent Grisham vs. Adam Eaton

With a healthy Christian Yelich, the Milwaukee Brewers easily win this matchup. Without him, they do not. Trent Grisham has been solid, hitting .231/.328/.410 with six home runs and a 90 OPS+. He’s been seeing most of his time lately in the leadoff spot, which has put him in plenty of big situations.

However, Adam Eaton is hitting .279/.365/.428 with 15 homers and a 101 OPS+ this year. Although it’s been his worst full season since 2013 with Arizona, he’s still had a good year. He’s fast, solid defensively, and can provide the offense a big boost.

Edge: Nationals

In this comparison, the Brewers and Nationals are evenly matched, with four position wins apiece. Some wins are bigger than others, such as Grandal over Gomes and Turner over Arcia, but these are two evenly matched teams on offense.

What will set them apart then? It’s all about the pitching staffs. The Wild Card game is going to be determined by which pitching staff blinks first.