Brewers: Mid Season Team Awards 2021

After 81 games the Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in a great place. They currently have a 48-33 record and have a six game lead in the National League central. There is still a lot of work left to be done but as a fan you have to be happy with the position the team is in currently!

A big reason for the Brewers success this year has been pitching. The offense has been quiet at times but also has provided some timely hits.

In this article we are going to take a look at some Brewers mid-season awards for 81 games marks the halfway point in the regular season.

2021 Mid Season MVP + Cy Young:  Corbin Burnes

Based on the first half of the season, the MVP award had to go to a pitcher. The hardest part was choosing which pitcher. Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Josh Hader have all been electric so far.

Of the pitchers mentioned, Burnes currently has the highest fWAR at 3.8.  Woodruff comes in at 2.7 and Peralta 2.4. Around the league, just Zack Wheeler and Jacob DeGrom have higher WARs then Burnes. This played a big factor in me deciding to give not only the MVP but also Cy Young award to Burnes!

On the season, Burnes has made 14 starts and tallied 82 innings pitched. He is currently sporting a 2.41 ERA and 120 strikeouts on the season.  This is good enough for a 13.2 K/9 ratio.

Limiting the walks has also been an area of improvement for Burnes this season. In fact he has excelled so well in this that he made MLB history to begin the season as he struck out 58 batters prior to issuing his first walk.

Burnes has also made history in multiple other ways. He was the first pitcher to have a streak of three games of 6+ IP and two or fewer baserunners in 120 years and has the franchise record for consecutive starts of five+ IP and one ER or less.

Even though he only takes the ball every five to six days, I do believe his track record so far has earned him the mid-season MVP award. With being the MVP, I subsequently believe that he has been the Cy Young of this team as well, which as mentioned is not an easy task given the seasons Woodruff and Peralta are having as well.

Best Newcomer: Willy Adames

By now, everyone knows May 22nd, 2021 as Willy Adames day. Since acquiring him from the Rays in a mid season trade, the Brewers have gone 27-10! Since then, that is the best record in MLB and the team is starting to get an increased buzz around their play.

Along with the team winning, Adames has seen a drastic improvement in his season stats as well. As a member of the Rays, Adames was hitting under .200 and possessed a .625 OPS. As a Brewer, he is hitting .277 with an .868 OPS!

Over these 38 games he has hit 11 doubles, seven home runs, and driven in 28 runs. His strikeout percentage has decreased significantly and his walk percentage is on the rise. Adames’ splits at Tropicana Field vs away stadiums is well documented and may play a factor in his improved play as well.

Adames also brings a ton of intangible traits to the clubhouse and ball diamond. Since joining the Brewers the team has been doing “Tiger Claws” when they get a hit and jumping high fives when he hits a home run.

The energy he provides is infectious and overall you can tell this team having more fun. His ability to join a team mid-season essentially as a stranger and completely turn a clubhouse around is quite incredible.

In case that was not enough, Adames also has the ability to  come up with clutch hits late in games.  He has had clutch home runs against the Padres, Rockies twice, and most recently against the Cubs in which an epic bat flip followed that really got American Family Field rocking.

All of this put together makes me believe that he has been the biggest addition so far. Kolten Wong was also a newcomer this last off-season, but right now it’s hard to argue against what Adames has done.

Perhaps the most exciting part is that we have only seen Adames for 37 games. With an entire second half of the season to go and the Brewers expected to make a push for the playoffs, there will be a lot more moments to come yet.

Be sure to stay tuned to Reviewing the Brew as we continue to cover the Milwaukee Brewers.  It is an exciting time to be a Brewers fan and you certainly do not want to miss out on any of the action or news stories.