Milwaukee Brewers: Studs and Duds from a Tough Month of June

During the first two months of the season, the Brewers posted winning records in both April and May. In June, the team continued to be decimated by injury, underwent an eight-game losing streak, DFA’d fan favorite Lorenzo Cain, and yet somehow still finished with a 12-15 record in July.

Following the long losing streak, the Brewers lost one series to the Mets, split four games against the Cardinals, won a series against the Blue Jays, and swept matchups against the Reds and Rays. They managed to leave June still on top of the National League Central standings.

Despite the losing record in June, the Brewers did get quite a few incredible performances from players. Naturally, they also did get some rather poor months out of a few players.

Here are some studs and duds for the Milwaukee Brewers from the month of June.

Brewers June Stud: Andrew McCutchen

After being activated off the Covid IL towards the end of May, Andrew McCutchen initially struggled to get back up and going. When the calendar flipped to June, he put together a few solid games including three multi-hit games prior to June 15 but was still struggling to put consistently good results on the board. That changed in the middle of the month.

From June 15 and on, he was incredible. During that stretch, his slash line was .340/.459/.600 (1.059 OPS). While he only produced eight RBI over that time frame, he collected 17 hits and drew nine walks while striking out just three times. It has been a special run at the plate for him and is allowing fans to see the potential they imagined when he was signed last offseason.

Brewers June Stud: Christian Yelich

In early June, Kolten Wong sustained a calf injury and was placed on the IL. This opened the door for Christian Yelich to bat leadoff. Since June 9th, his first game batting leadoff, Yelich has hit first in the lineup against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers and he has thrived.

During June, Yelich collected team bests in hits (30), walks (14), runs scored (18), and stolen bases (5). His June batting average was .291 and it improved to .255 on the year. Yelich’s current style of play is very suitable for a leadoff hitter and hopefully he can continue to be a spark at the top of the lineup for the Brewers offense.

Brewers June Stud: Devin Williams

It was a perfect month for star reliever Devin Williams. In 10.2 innings pitched, he did not allow a single earned run and struck out 15 batters in the process. He also picked up one save in Cincinnati when Josh Hader was on paternity leave.

On the season, Williams has a 2.12 ERA, a 14.9 K/9, and a 40.8% strikeout percentage. Williams has never been an All-star, but he certainly has a case to earn the honor this year. Whether or not that happens, he will be a big piece in the Brewers bullpen as they compete to win the NL Central for the second season in a row.

Brewers June Dud: Eric Lauer

Eric Lauer entered the month of June with a 2.38 ERA and exited the month at 4.02. He gave up eight home runs on the month and gave up 21 earned runs in 27.2 innings pitched. Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Ashby both were on the IL in June, so Lauer’s struggles really came at an inconvenient time for the Brewers pitching staff.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong for Lauer in June. Home runs were a big issue, but he also gave up crooked numbers in games where teams did not hit a long ball. Hopefully he can get back on track in July.

Brewers June Dud: Adrian Houser

Similar to Lauer, Adrian Houser struggled in June and gave up quite a few home runs (5). Houser entered June at a 3.51 ERA and left it at 4.72. Unfortunately, he also was injured in his last start against the Pirates and was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

Houser had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2016. Thankfully the initial diagnosis did not include the words ulnar collateral ligament, but he still will miss some time with this injury. As of right now, the Brewers expect him to start throwing again in a few weeks and he should be able to return to the team this year.

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July is an action-packed month as there is the All-Star game, MLB draft, and trades that will ramp up prior to this year’s August 2nd deadline. Be sure to stay tuned to Reviewing the Brew for all the latest Brewers news!