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Brewers: 3 Players Under Pressure Heading Into 2020

By Kyle Dangler |
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 24: Adrian Houser #37 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 24: Adrian Houser #37 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
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The Milwaukee Brewers have lots of potential in this shortened season, but key players will have to step up to get back to the Postseason.

There’s a lot of chances for players to prove themselves over a 162 game season. In a 60 game season? Not as much. Some Brewers players were entering 2020 under pressure to begin with, and now with a shortened schedule, the pressure to perform is much higher.

Here are three Brewers that will have a little extra motivation this season.

Adrian Houser, SP

Let’s face it, the Brewers do not have a star-studded pitching rotation.They’re more centered around depth than anything else. This pitching staff will need to be very consistent in order to keep this team in the “sprint” to October. Adrian Houser is right in the middle of this rotation.

With Houser likely being the second starter in the rotation, that will come with very difficult matchups against other No. 2 starters, including possible matchups with Trevor Bauer (Reds), Miles Mikolas (Cardinals), Kyle Hendricks (Cubs), and Mitch Keller (Pirates). And this only includes division rival projected No. 2 starters according to ESPN.com.

Sophomore year slumps are very prevalent in baseball. And with this being Houser’s second full season in the bigs, this could pose problems for the righty as other teams now have a basis to work off of on video analysis of last year’s games.

Houser needs a huge year with a sub 3.50 ERA, to have a successful year (in my eyes). If he was in the back of the rotation, like you could see him being on other major league clubs, than the expectations would not be as high. But Woodruff can not do it all. With the lack of Major League experience and/or success outside of Woodruff, this rotation should be closely watched.

The amount of quality starts from starters 2-5 in the rotation will be interesting to analyze at the year’s end, as this whole rotation can be seen as mediocre. There is something to be proven this year by the new starters, like Josh Lindblom from overseas, but Houser is someone with some success that could take a big leap this year. The Brewers decided to not make a big rotation splash this offseason, like they rarely ever do, putting the pressure on Houser to take the reigns as the No. 2 starter for a contenting team in the thick of the NL Central race.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 01: Orlando Arcia #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws out Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning in the National League Wild Card game at Nationals Park on October 01, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 01: Orlando Arcia #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws out Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning in the National League Wild Card game at Nationals Park on October 01, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Orlando Arcia, SS

Orlando Arcia was a highly touted prospect the Brewers had back in 2016 who, in his early 20s, was supposed to be the next star shortstop for the Brewers. Well, lets just say that has not happened yet.

With his best season in 2017, batting .277 (career .243 average) with 15 HR and 53 RBI, the majority of his time in the major leagues has been lackluster in offensive production. We can sit here and say he is coming into his prime being only 25 years old while already having four years of experience in the MLB. However, the lack of a bat really turns me off to Arcia.

This is a make-or-break year for Arcia in my opinion, as these 60 games should show the Brewers if they struck gold or if they missed on their future All-Star shortstop again.

The expectations for a team with a dominant closer, a star-studded outfield, and back-to-back postseason appearances is enormous. If the Brewers were rebuilding I would say Arcia had some safety. However, with the time to win being now, it should be either perform or go sit on the pine.

To put him under more pressure, the Brewers traded for Luis Urias, a former top shortstop prospect with huge offensive potential. If Arcia doesn’t get the bat going right away, he could be replaced more easily with Urias than the feeble attempts with Tyler Saladino last year.

I am looking for Arcia in this 60 game stretch to hit at least .280 with 12 HR and 50 RBI to keep his job. I am not saying the answer to shortstop is on this team outside of Arcia, which is why I think he will play everyday this year, if healthy. But after this year, free agency will tell Brewers fans a lot about Arcia’s future with the club as a tender decision would loom.

The left side of the infield for the Brewers is going to be interesting to watch this year, but with the potential of Arcia obviously being higher than we have seen thus far, Arcia could be a player to help carry this offense, which will show how he could be a part of this team for the next decade, rather than looking for a new team come December.

MARYVALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Avisail Garcia #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers gets ready in the batters box against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 06, 2020 in Maryvale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
MARYVALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Avisail Garcia #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers gets ready in the batters box against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 06, 2020 in Maryvale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Avisail Garcia, RF

This final player on this list was hard for me to choose. I was debating picking new catcher Omar Narvaez, but with his production last year with Seattle, combined with the catcher position not being too focused on offense, I decided to go with Garcia.

Not too long ago, Garcia was an All-Star with the White Sox back in 2017 after hitting .330 with 18 HR and 80 RBI. I am putting the pressure on Garcia because of what he can mean to the Brewers this time. After a bounce back year with the Rays last season, Garcia showed what kind of hitter he can be. The glove will not flash off the charts, while the DH being universal this year might allow Garcia to just focus on hitting.

The big question is what kind of hitter will the Brewers be getting in Garcia. The 2017 and 2019 Garcia is well worth the money they paid him, but the 2018 and pre 2017 Garcia is a player that looked more like a bust to baseball fans. Health is always a big scare with Garcia, who has had his share of DL stints.

Behind the bat of Christian Yelich, Garcia’s potential can have him being the second most feared hitter the Brewers currently have. Garcia is able to hit for average, as well as power. The amount of experience and stints of success allow Garcia to be an intriguing player for the Brewers. The 60 game regular season benefits Garcia as he has trouble staying healthy for a full 162 game season.

Under these circumstances, if Garcia gets off to a hot start, we can be talking about an All-Star hitter. Garcia can take this offense from top 10 to one of the best with his abilities. However, there is the chance of getting the poor version of Garcia given his roller coaster-like track record, combined with the poor sample size this Spring Training.

If Garcia can hit .290 with 15 HR and 55 RBI, I truly believe this signing will be a steal and will take some of the pressure off of Yelich. Garcia’s potential puts tons of pressure on him, and with the whispers of his shaky career thus far, this year he can prove his hitting tools are for real. Garcia can be the key to this team making the playoffs, which I believe he will do this season.

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If we see the below average Garcia, we can be talking about a huge disappointment. Garcia is a key piece, and the way he plays can affect the entire offense which is why the pressure is on, along with him being one of the main pieces signed by the Brewers this offseason.

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