Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Players Who Have Been Bouncing Back So Far in 2023

Each season, every MLB team relies on a few players on the roster to have bounceback seasons after down performances the year before. The Milwaukee Brewers are no different.

Whether it be players signed to low value deals with hopes of a bounceback season or players who were already on the team last year looking to improve, there are several players on the Brewers roster who fit that criteria. And almost one month into the season, there are three players who are already looking better than their 2022 versions.

Here are three Brewers players who have been bouncing back to start the 2023 season.

#1 Bounce back Brewers player: 3B/OF Brian Anderson

With some uncertainty at the third base and right field positions heading into this spring, the Brewers brought in a player who can man both spots in Brian Anderson. The hope was that he would bounce back from injuries and return to the form from earlier in his career.

Anderson had a big year in 2018, batting .273 with a .757 OPS and earning a fourth place finish in that season's NL Rookie of the Year race. But decent seasons in 2019 and 2020, injuries befell him in 2021 and 2022 and he started to see his production decline as a result, slashing .233/.322/.359 over just 165 games across those two seasons.

The Brewers were able to sign Anderson to a one-year contract worth just $3.5MM hoping for a bounceback and so far the 29-year-old has delivered. Through 25 games, he is batting .276 with an .844 OPS and his 20 RBIs lead the team and are 7th most in the National League.

His presence has been sorely needed as well. While Luis Urias has been on the injured list since Opening Day, outfielder has had to shift from right field over to center as a result of Garrett Mitchell's own injury. So there will be no lack of playing time for Anderson going forward, which is definitely okay.

#3 Bounce back Brewers player: RHP Bryse Wilson

The Brewers brought in a bunch of different types of players in an attempt to add more depth and consistency to their bullpen after a somewhat down year for the unit in 2022. One move meant taking a chance on a former highly-rated prospect who hadn't yet panned out.

Right-hander Bryse Wilson was a 4th-round pick for the Atlanta Braves back in 2016 and was a top 30 prospect for them for years, climbing as high as 6th in MLB Pipeline's rankings to end the 2020 season. But he was never able to translate that to MLB success with them and he was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2021 trade deadline.

Things didn't quite work out there either and after five MLB seasons, he found himself with a 9-17 record, a 5.54 ERA, and a 1.498 WHIP through 232.1 career innings. The Pirates would designate him for assignment last December, at which point the Brewers would acquire him from Pittsburgh for cash.

Wilson had a bit of a shaky spring, but his ability to pitch as a starter or reliever (as well as having no minor league options remaining) earned him a spot on the Opening Day roster. And it's a good thing that happened because he has been one of the top arms out of the bullpen so far in 2023.

Through 16 innings, Wilson is 1-0 with just a 1.13 ERA and 1.063 WHIP. He is striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings, which would easily be a career high, and hasn't given up a home run yet this season. He also has two saves, which brings his career total to a whopping three.

There is still time for other Brewers players to bounce back from last year as the season goes on. These three bouncing back early, however, is a big part of the reason that the Brewers are off to a good start here in 2023.