4 Brewers who could be first time All Stars in 2024

It feels like the 2024 MLB Season has just started. However, as the calendar turns to May, All Star voting is right around the corner. While every team has at least one representative, the Brewers have several players who are making strong cases to be one of the team’s All Stars representing the team in Texas on July 16th. 

Blake Perkins

The 27-year old outfielder flew under the radar when he was signed in November of 2022; however, Blake Perkins may go down as one of Matt Arnold’s best acquisitions. Not only is he known for his elite defense, this season Perkins has started to hit as well. Entering play on May 10th, Perkins appeared in 29 of the Brewers 37 games, all in Center Field and has a 118 wRC+, a triple slash of .248/.347/.400 to go with 4 home runs and 0.8 fWAR. 

Perkins currently is tied for 5th in wRC+ among all qualified Center Fielders, trailing Aaron Judge, the injured MIke Trout, Toronto’s Daulton Varsho, and Oakland's JJ Bleday. Looking at OAA, Perkins has 3 OAA, tied for 3rd trailing only Julio Rodriguez and Kevin Kiermaier.

His offensive and defensive prowess is extremely impressive. He is 4nd on the Brewers in wRC+, and is 4th in fWAR. Looking at DEF (Defensive Runs Above Average), trails only Daulton Varsho, Julio Rodriguez, and Jarren Duran in MLB among center fielders. The Brewers ability to find young, overlooked players has been crucial to their continued success, and Blake Perkins is yet another success story.  

Brice Turang

After a lackluster offensive rookie season, Brice Turang appears to have taken the 'quantum leap' forward in his sophomore season ranking among the top of second basemen in the National League in fWAR (3rd with 1.5), wRC+ (4th with a 135), OBP (2nd with .378), SLG (4th with .438).

Turang's quantum leap has also seen his swinging strike % drop from 8.2 in the majors last year to 5.1% this season. His Whiff% of 12% is in the 97th percentile of batters and his K% of 13.3% is in the 93rd. He is not crushing the ball, as evidenced by his 2.9% barrel %, but he does not have to given his elite speed.

Turang has also taken a huge step forward on fastballs this season, seeing a significant uptick in batting average, slugging, wOBA against them while also significantly decreasing his whiff% against fastballs as well (20.5% in 2023 vs 8.6% in 2024). If those trends hold, not only will Turang deserve an All-Star nod, he will deserve to be named as one of the top second basemen in baseball.

Bryan Hudson

The Brewers did it again. Matt Arnold and the Front Office found a reliever who has emerged as an elite weapon out of the bullpen. The 27-year old Bryan Hudson came over from a trade with the Dodgers for 2023 20th round draft pick Justin Chambers and has quickly become a key cog in the bullpen.

The 6 foot 8 inch left handed pitcher has been the most valuable reliever for the Brewers by measure of fWAR and has pitched lights out in his 21.1 innings, striking out 29.5% of batters and having a 0.84 ERA, 2.60 FIP, and a LOB% of 96.2%.

Hudson has decreased his Four Seam usage and has supplemented that with increases in sweeper and cutter usages, getting a 30.3% whiff% on his sweeper.

The selection process is different for pitchers than for position players, if Hudson is selected it will be because his peers recognize him as a deserving player, although it's an uphill battle being a non-closer. Still, his performance has been All-Star worthy.

Willy Adames

Yes. Willy Adames has never made an All Star game in his career. His hot start to the 2024 season may lead to him finally getting a nod as he prepared to enter free agency. Adames is off to a great start, recording a triple slash of .252/.341/.448 with 7 home runs and a 126 wRC+ through 37 games and 1.5 fWAR.

Adames is currently 3rd in fWAR among NL shortstops behind Mookie Betts and Elly De La Cruz, and has been one of the best defensive shortstops trailing only Orlando Arcia (4.8) and Francisco Lindor (3.9) in DEF, Adames has 3.5.

Adames faces steep competition to be named to the All Star game, going up against big market shortstops and the human highlight machine that is Elly De La Cruz; however, his early play is very deserving of a call.

The Brewers have several early candidates who deserve to be All Stars, William Contreras, Willy Adames, Blake Perkins, Bryan Hudson and Brice Turang all deserve consideration. It is unlikley all 5 of those players will represent Milwaukee, but hopefully at least two are able to play in Texas, and hopefully at least one will make their All Star debut.

*All stats are entering play on Friday, May 10th