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1 player moving up the Brewers depth chart and 2 moving down

By Drew Koch |
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jesse Winker (33) throws his bat
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jesse Winker (33) throws his bat / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY
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The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to a good start. Sure, not as good as the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Milwaukee fans aren't going to complain.

But while the Brewers as a whole are playing well, some of the pieces on this year's team aren't quite playing up to their potential.

Almost a month into the season, one player has stood out and virtually guaranteed himself a spot in the everyday lineup, while others have raised the concern of Milwaukee faithful. Which player has been moving up the depth and who's beginning to tumble down?

Brewers depth chart: Rowdy Tellez is moving up.

Rowdy Tellez was a nice addition to the Milwaukee Brewers almost two years ago when he was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays via trade. Looking like more of a platoon option at first base, or perhaps the team's DH, Tellez showed plenty of pop during his first season in the Cream City.

But last year brought about some doubts. The power was still there, but a .219 batting average coupled with an on-base percentage barely over .300 gave Brewers fans cause to pause. Enough to even bring in Jesse Winker as a DH option and Luke Voit to sub in at first base if necessary.

News flash - it won't be necessary. Despite Voit playing better of late, Tellez is still slugging his way through the opposition. Tellez is slashing .230/.322/.568 and has an OPS+ of 141. Over the last 15 days, Tellez has posted an OPS of 1.058, which is the best on the team during that time.

Rowdy Tellez has firmly entrenched himself into the Milwaukee Brewers' everyday lineup. Manager Craig Counsell can't afford to give the left-handed slugger a day off at the moment, especially with the rash of injuries that have suddenly struck the Brewers lineup.

Brewers depth chart: Jesse Winker is moving down.

The Milwaukee Brewers had high hopes when they pulled off a trade with the Seattle Mariners this past offseason. Brewers GM Matt Arnold shipped second baseman Kolten Wong to the Pacific Northwest which, in turn, opened the door for rookie infielder Brice Turang.

It also brought former Cincinnati Reds slugger Jesse Winker to Milwaukee. Winker was dealt to the M's last spring in exchange for a prospect package as the Reds attempt to rebuild their roster from the inside. But Winker didn't really jive with the clubhouse in Sea-Town.

Winker was made available after the season, and the Brewers took the opportunity to see if the former All-Star could turn things around upon his return to the National League Central Division. To this point, he has not, and that's why Winker is tumbling down the depth chart.

Over the past two weeks, Jesse Winker has the worst batting average among all Brewers hitters. Winker is hitting just .125, but perhaps even worse than that, the outfielder has an on-base percentage of just .222 with seven strikeouts and only one walk in his last 24 at-bats.

A bout with bronchitis and a recent flair-up with an oblique injury haven't helped Jesse Winker's case. While Brewers fans still hold out hope that he can turn things around, Winker's recent track record doesn't help the idea that he might not be a good fit in Milwaukee either. At the moment, Winker is losing ground on the depth chart.

Brewers depth chart: Brice Turang is moving down.

Now, I'm not suggesting that Brice Turang needs to go back to the minor leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers made their commitment once they dealt the aforementioned Wong to the Mariners. But Turang has struggled recently.

Over the last 12 games, Turang has struck out 16 times. To make matters worse, he's drawn just one free pass during that span as well. Turang has eight hits during those 12 games, but only two have gone for extra bases.

Now, this stuff happens with rookies, right? They start out with some big-time showings, then the league gets a little more film to pick apart, and opposing pitchers begin to adapt and figure out how to successfully locate pitches where these young hitters have holes in their swing.

On a scale of 1-10, the level of concern for Brice Turang should be in the neighborhood of about a 3. There's no need to hit the panic button, but Owen Miller is seeing the ball much better right now. Based on the matchup, this at least should give Craig Counsell something to think about.

The Milwaukee Brewers, under no circumstances, can option Turang back to the minors. With the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee's biggest competition in the NL Central, struggling, there's no time like the present to allow Turang to work out the kinks. But if it continues to get much worse, then perhaps we're having a different discussion.

Next. 3 Brewers prospects off to a hot start in 2023. dark

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