Brewers: 2022 Report Card Grades For The Outfield

Hunter Renfroe 2022 Season Grade: A-

Hunter Renfroe performed to expectations in 2022.  As a former member of the Red Sox and Padres, he is known for hitting near 30 home runs and having perhaps the best throwing arm among outfielders. During his first year with the Brewers, he slugged 29 home runs and collected 11 outfield assists.

Production wise, Renfroe finished first among qualified hitters on the Brewers in regards to batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. Overall, he was third on the team in regards to home runs and RBI (72). He was fourth in hits (121) and fifth in doubles (23) as well. A hamstring injury early in the season did slow him down for a bit, otherwise he may have put up even better numbers.

Andrew McCutchen 2022 Season Grade: D

A big point of emphasis for the Brewers heading into 2022 was getting more right-handed batters that can hit against left-handed pitchers. Career wise, McCutchen has dominated in those match ups. In 2022, he was less than impressive and hit just .221/.303/.435/.738 against lefties.

Overall, McCutchen’s offensive performance was underwhelming.  He was signed to be the team’s designated hitter, which he was, but unfortunately his big offensive production days are behind him. It would not be surprising if the Brewers let him walk this offseason.

Jonathan Davis 2022 Season Grade: C-

Davis was brought up to the big leagues to provide depth following the departure of Lorenzo Cain.  Overall, he appeared in 37 games for the Crew before being placed on the IL with an elbow injury and eventually outrighted to the minor leagues. At season’s end, he did elect free agency.

On the offensive side, Davis did perform well below the league average to the tune of a 77 wRC+, but he did have some defensive gems. His most memorable catch came against the Tampa Bay Rays when he put his body on the line as he dove head first into the center field wall. He landed extremely awkwardly, briefly remained in the game, and was eventually removed.

As a depth piece signed to a minor league deal the offseason prior, Davis didn’t bring much to the table offensively but was a pleasant surprise defensively. Because of this he gets a slightly below average letter grade for his 2022 season efforts.

As a unit, the Brewers outfield group again did not meet expectations in 2022. With Christian Yelich’s salary increasing and Hunter Renfroe being one of the most expensive arbitration eligible players on the team, offensive production has to be better in 2023 from the outfield group.