Brewers: 4 Players Who Should Be End Of Season Award Finalists

Player #2: Brice Turang - Gold Glove

Brice Turang's Gold Glove caliber defense has been on display all season long, and he has brought a tremendous amount of value to this Brewers' defense. Turang's plus speed and impressive range has already made him one of the more dynamic defenders at second base.

Specifically, as David Gasper pointed out last month, Turang's athleticism has made him one of the best in the sport at turning double plays this season.

Turang's Double Play Runs Above Average (DPR) of 1.6 still leads all qualified NL second basemen. He and Willy Adames has been a fantastic combination in Milwaukee's middle infield, and Turang's quick feet have greatly contributed to his outstanding range at second base.

No matter how you break it down, Turang's numbers show that he has been one of the more valuable second baseman in the NL in 2023. Turang has a UZR of 3.7 on the year, meaning, statistically, he has been 3.7 runs better than the average second baseman according to UZR's calculation. His UZR of 3.7 is second in the NL only behind Bryson Stott's UZR of 4.0

Turang is third in the National League with three OAA, and he is tied with Nico Hoerner for the most Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in the NL with 12 (the next closest player is Bryson Stott with 6 DRS).

In all likelihood, this award will come down to Brice Turang, Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs, and Bryson Stott of the Philadelphia Phillies. Turang's play this season has been more than deserving of a Gold Glove Award, and he will likely be in this conversation for years to come.

Player #3: William Contreras - Gold Glove & Silver Slugger

What a breakout season it has been for catcher William Contreras. He has made enormous strides in his player development both offensively and behind the dish, and he has easily been the Brewers' most valuable player this season.

Contreras' Gold Glove Argument

Last season, Contreras graded out as, statistically speaking, one of the worst defensive catchers in all of baseball. Now, after spending a good chunk of the offseason with Milwaukee's phenomenal catching staff, Contreras has made such strides behind home plate where he should be in consideration for a Gold Glove Award.

When it comes to pitch framing, Contreras has been one of the best in the entire sport. According to Baseball Savant, Contreras' seven Catcher Framing Runs are the third most in the National League. The only two players ahead of Contreras are Giants' rookie catcher Patrick Bailey, and Mets' rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez, who will both likely be in the running for this award as well.

In addition to his impressive pitch framing, Contreras has also been one of the best at blocking behind the plate this season. He is posting seven Blocks Above Average, and that total is good for fifth-best in the National League, per Baseball Savant, and is significantly better than Alvarez's number of -1 as well as Bailey's total of -10.

Contreras' greatest drawback this season has been his ablity to gun down runners on the base paths. His pop time of 1.95 seconds sits around league average, and it has led to him sitting below league average in Caught Stealing Above Average, according to Baseball Savant.

Still, even to think about Contreras being involved in Gold Glove conversations is something not many people would have predicted heading into the 2023 season. He has been excellent behind home plate for the Milwaukee Brewers, and it's just another way Contreras has found to impact the game.

Contreras' Silver Slugger Argument

On top of being one of the best defensive catchers in the National League this season, Contreras should also be in the conversation for a Silver Slugger Award. For him to be in both the Gold Glove conversation as well as in the mix for a Silver Slugger Award, it's a testament to just how valuable he has been for the Brewers this season.

The stats in the table above are courtesy of FanGraphs, and this award is looking to be a tight race. Contreras has the strong advantage in the batting average and on base department, but Atlanta Braves' catcher Sean Murphy has the edge in terms of power hitting.

Murphy, who was involved in the three-team trade that sent William Contreras from the Braves to the Brewers, has put together a sensational season in his first year in Atlanta, and he has done it in 30 fewer games.

However, Wild Bill has put together a fantastic season at the plate and has been one of the overall best offensive catchers in the National League. He leads all NL catchers with 77 RBIs, and his production has been more than enough to merit consideration to be the first Brewers catcher to ever win a Silver Slugger Award.

Player #4: Devin Williams - NL Reliever of the Year

Plain and simple, the Milwaukee Brewers have dominated this award for the past half decade. Since 2018, a Brewers reliever has won the award all but one time (Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets won the award last season).

Josh Hader is a three-time winner of the award, taking home the hardware in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and Devin Williams won the award back in the shortened 2020 season.

This year, Devin Williams has made a strong case to win the award for a second time. Albeit, it'll likely be a tight race, but Williams has been tremendous this season for Milwaukee.

For starters, Williams has been, yet again, one of the best relievers in the National League at striking batters out. His 37.3% strikeout rate is second in the National League, as is his impressive strikeouts per nine of 13.27 (Josh Hader leads both categories with a K% of 37.7% and a K/9 of 13.91).

On top of being one of the best strikeout artists in the NL, Williams has effectively limited hits this year as well, as he is allowing an opponent batting average of just .131, which is by far the best in the National League. He is top-four in the NL in WHIP (0.94), and his ability to keep runners off the bases has played a large role in him racking up 36 saves, which is the fourth-most in the NL.

The Airbender has the third-lowest ERA among NL relievers at 1.56 to go along with the fifth-lowest FIP at 2.72. In turn, it's no surprise to see grade out as one of the more valuable relievers in baseball. He is near the top of the leaderboard with a 1.7 WAR, which is the sixth-best in the NL according to FanGraphs. Williams is also third in the National League in terms of Win Probability Added at 3.83, further illustrating how much value he has brought to Milwaukee's bullpen.

Williams has been as good as you could have hoped for the Brewers this season, and his performance this year has played an enormous role in the Brewers becoming division champs yet again this season. He continues to be one of the most lockdown relievers in baseball, and he is more than deserving of the Trevor Hoffman Award for his performance in 2023.