Brewers: Top 'One Year Wonders' In Franchise History

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MILWAUKEE – MAY 9: Derrick Turnbow #59 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers the pitch against the Washington Nationals on May 9, 2007 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers won 3-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

It’s typical to think of a ‘great Brewers player’ as someone who spent a decent amount of time in Milwaukee. However, there have been players that have come and gone in Milwaukee that could easily be considered ‘one year wonders’, and had a huge impact in their short time here.

The Milwaukee Brewers have relied on big contributions from perhaps unexpected people over the years. After providing big contributions one year, they weren’t really able to provide the same kind of contributions again. That leaves them as a one year wonder. Let’s take a look at a few from Brewers franchise history.

This list is in no particular order. Let’s get started.

6. Derrick Turnbow – 2005

Derrick Turnbow is a name that people don’t really mention much anymore, but when he’s mentioned, a whole bunch of memories come flooding back. Derrick Turnbow is probably one of the greatest One Year Wonders that ever came to the Brewers. Although he spent more than a year with Milwaukee, Turnbow really only had one solid year.

He struggled with the Angels prior to coming to Milwaukee, going back and forth from the majors to the minors. Turnbow came to Milwaukee in 2005 off a waiver claim and it was going to be a challenge for manager Ned Yost to decide what he was going to do with Turnbow.

Derrick Turnbow ended up doing a complete 180 and had an outstanding season. He would post 39 saves, which at the time tied a record in the franchise’s history and had a 1.74 ERA. The closer was the runner-up for the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year and the Brewers even gave Turnbow a 3-year contract extension worth around $6.5M.

But, as everyone has their highs, Turnbow hit his low fairly quick and by the time he was 30, he was already out of baseball and out of a professional career.

5. Nyjer Morgan – 2011

Nyjer Morgan‘s regular season stats weren’t exactly eye-popping, posting a slash line of .304/.357/.421/.778 with only four home-runs in 119 games / 429 plate appearances. What most people remember Morgan for, besides his post-game interview antics and personality, is his walk-off hit in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS.

With Carlos Gomez on second base, Morgan had to step up to the plate and deliver something that would break the tie in extra innings and help the Brewers secure the win. Nyjer Morgan hit a ground ball single into centerfield which then sent Carlos Gomez sprinting on his way home and would clinch the Brewers’ first postseason series win in 29 years.

Morgan last played in the 2017 season, last making a MLB appearance in 2014 with the Cleveland Indians then traveled to South Korea for 2015 and then went to Mexico. MLB Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy said it himself when he said that “Morgan will always be remembered for the biggest little hit since Cecil Cooper …in Game 5 of the 1982 American League Championship Series against the Angels.”

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 18: Casey McGehee #14 of the Milwaukee Brewers makes the throw to first base for an out against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 18, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

4. Casey McGehee – 2010

Although his Brewers career really began in 2009, it was 2010 where Casey McGehee made his mark. Originally a 10th-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2003, McGehee was let go by them in 2008 and Milwaukee claimed him off of waivers and he was on the Opening Day roster the following year.

In 2009, McGehee was in a platoon with Bill Hall at third base, playing in 116 games total. McGehee posted a .301/.360/.499 slash line with 16 home runs and 66 RBI’s. He finished the 2009 season in fifth place for the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

2010 was when Casey McGehee became the full-time third baseman. As the season progressed, he continued to put up numbers that would put his name on the team’s leaderboards. McGehee put up a .285/.337/.464 slash line with an .801 OPS, 23 home runs, 104 RBIs, in 157 games. His numbers put him second behind Ryan Braun in batting average and doubles that year, fifth with his 23 homers, and then his 104 RBI’s led the entire team and was a career-high for McGehee.

Unfortunately, McGehee started to struggle in 2011. He only managed to hit 13 home runs and drive in 68 runs while his slash line dropped drastically compared to his 2010 season (.223/.280/.346). At the conclusion of the 2011 season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and he continued to bounce around Major League teams with a couple stints in Japan as well, last playing in 2018 with Yomiuri.

3. Jesus Aguilar- 2018

Arguably one of the best seasons by a first basemen the Brewers had seen since Prince Fielder, Jesus Aguilar had a breakout year in 2018. He made an All-Star appearance and hit .274/.352/.539/.890 with 35 home runs, 108 RBIs, and a 135 OPS+ in 149 games played.

He was a part of the 2018 Brewers postseason team that was just one game shy of a World Series appearance. Once 2019 rolled around, Aguilar wasn’t really seen much in the Brewers lineup after struggling to start the season and Eric Thames had been seeing more time at first base and more time at the plate. After only playing in 94 games, the Brewers ended up trading Aguilar to the Tampa Bay Rays, ending his time in Milwaukee.

There’s still a chance for a career turnaround for Aguilar, but after struggling to gain traction in Cleveland for years and not being able to sustain his 2018 success, it looks like that might end up the best season of his career.

MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 13: Wade Miley #20 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the National League Championship Series at Miller Park on October 13, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

2. Wade Miley – 2018

Signing as a Minor League free agent in 2018, Wade Miley was able to make it out into the big league rotation for the beginning of the season. However, he would miss the first three months of the 2018 season due to an oblique injury. Although 2016 and 2017 showed Miley with ERA’s over 5.00, once 2018 came around, something clicked in him and he was able to get that ERA down to 2.57 and help bring the Brewers to the postseason.

Miley made 16 starts with the Milwaukee Brewers, and was probably the best pitcher the Crew had for the postseason, pitching 14 innings, only allowing two runs in his four postseason starts.

However, all good things come to an end and Wade Miley just couldn’t find a team that was interested in what he had to give, feeling that 2018 was just a lucky year for him. In 2019, Miley would go down to Houston and post a 3.28 ERA in the first half of the season and quickly fall to a 16.68 in September, leaving him off the ALCS and World Series roster. He’s now with the Cincinnati Reds, and we have yet to see how he’s going to perform.

1. Jim Henderson – 2013

As covered in a Brewers Flashback, Jim Henderson really only had one good year and that was his 2013 season with the Milwaukee Brewers. Making his Major League debut at 29, Henderson saved 28 games and posted a 2.70 ERA. When Henderson was healthy, he was a force to be reckoned with. He pitched a total of 60 innings, only allowing 18 runs and struck out 75 batters.

Offered another closing position in 2014, it was revealed that Henderson was dealing with shoulder inflammation and it would send him on the 15 day DL, then was sent to the 60-day, and then would miss the rest of the 2014 season due to shoulder surgery in August of that year. He bounced around a little bit, including a 2016 stint with the Mets for 44 appearances before circling back to his original team.

He was offered a minor league contract in 2018 by the Brewers and he was assigned to the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, but was then placed on the injured list in September. In 2019, he spent the season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton as their pitching coach and is now the pitching coach for Class Triple-A San Antonio.

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What do you think? Are there any not mentioned on this list that deserve recognition?

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Brewers: Top “One Year Wonders” In Franchise History