Milwaukee Brewers: First Half Grades for the Outfielders and Designated Hitters

As the All-Star break continues, so does our series where we give out grades to the Milwaukee Brewers players for their first half performances in 2023. Here, we move on to the outfielders and designated hitters.

2023 was supposed to be that a former MVP, a trio of young and promising prospects, and as prime a bounceback candidate as any combined to carry the Brewers offense. Only part of that has come true, unfortunately, though some unlikely players have emerged along the way to add some timely contributions.

Here are our 2023 first half grades for the Milwaukee Brewers outfielders and designated hitters.

OF Christian Yelich

Finally! After years of wondering when the Brewers' former NL MVP would return back to form, Christian Yelich has looked much more like his old self here in 2023. And considering how the team's offense has struggled at times, one can only imagine where Milwaukee would be without him.

Heading into the All-Star break, Yelich is slashing .284/.378/.456 through 87 games with 11 homers and a team-leading 46 RBI. His 21.5% strikeout rate is his lowest since he almost won a second straight NL MVP in 2019 and his 128 OPS+ is his highest since that year as well. Oh, and he's also 21-for-23 in stolen base attempts on the year.

His numbers at this point also happen to be largely on pace with his 2018 MVP season through the same amount of games, though he'd have to go on a similar ridiculous tear in the second half to match that actual feat for the whole season.

Yelich was even in the running to grab an All-Star spot for the NL team, though he ultimately got arguably snubbed from that honor. In the end, maybe that's for the best, because if he can come storming out of the gates in the second half performing like he did in the first, it'll go a long way toward securing a playoff spot. Either way, welcome back Yeli!

Grade: A

OF Tyrone Taylor

After failing to guarantee himself a spot in Milwaukee's future over the last few years, Tyrone Taylor was potentially on the roster bubble early on this season. An early trip to the injured list delayed any possible decision in that regard and then the vacancy in right field gave him the chance to prove he still deserves a longer look.

But in 27 games after returning from injury, Taylor slashed a lowly .160/.179/.240 with 21 strikeouts compared to only two walks. He is now back on the injured list again and on a rehab assignment in Triple-A, but does he actually return to the big league roster once he's ready this time?

Grade: D-

OF Garrett Mitchell

After providing a nice spark for the Brewers down the stretch in his first season in the majors, Garrett Mitchell was off to a nice start to 2023, slashing .259/.306/.466 in 16 games with a trio of homers, including one of the walkoff variety. Then, like it did to many others, the injury bug hit.

Mitchell suffered an injury sliding into third base and ended up having to undergo surgery in late April. There's a chance that he returns very late in 2023 but has just a good a chance of missing the rest of the season. Brewers fans will hope for the former.

Grade: INC

DH Luke Voit

Designated hitter Luke Voit is a perfect example of the fact that spring training performances and stats often don't mean anything. Fans were clamoring for his addition to the roster after his strong play in Cactus League and the team ended up obliging. After that, well....

In 22 games, Voit slashed just .221/.284/.265 with three doubles and no homers. That's not great for a player whose sole job is to hit. He would later hit the IL and go on a rehab with Triple-A Nashville, but he would never return to the club, instead being designated for assignment and subsequently released.

Grade: F

OF Raimel Tapia

After being released by the Red Sox in June, the Brewers signed Raimel Tapia shortly thereafter needing some extra outfield depth. Similarly to Perkins, he has had some nice moments and scored some timely runs, but the numbers haven't jumped off the page or anything.

In 16 games, Tapia is slashing .179/.298/.333 with a couple homers as his only base hits. For now, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt due to his low amount of games played and grade him the same way we did Mitchell.

Grade: INC

Yelich's bounceback has been a welcome sight, Wiemer has shown promise, and the loss of Mitchell was a killer, but the rest of this group's performances have been subpar as best. Someone will need to step up going forward otherwise a trade deadline acquisition might cost someone their roster spot.