#2 Bounce back Brewers player: SS Willy Adames
Now it may feel weird to say that Willy Adames was looking for a bounceback season considering he broke Robin Yount's franchise record for home runs by a shortstop last season. But there were other parts of his game that saw dips in production from his outstanding 2022 debut for the Brewers.
After slashing .285/.366/.521 in 99 games after arriving in Milwaukee, Adames saw his whole slash line drop way down to .238/.298/.458 in 2022. And though his strikeout rate didn't raise much, his walk rate dropped quite a bit, from 11.4% with the Brewers in 2021 to just 7.9% in 2022.
Things appear to be trending back in the right direction for Willy to start 2023, however. At .247, his batting average is back up a bit while his on base percentage is almost back up to 2021 levels at .361. And that is because he is drawing a whole lot more walks.
Adames is currently earning free passes 15.6% of the time, which would be a career high by far. His 17 walks on the season lead the Brewers and are fifth most in the NL. As a player who consistently bats in the top third of the lineup, getting on base is essential. This season, he is helping the Crew much more in that regard.