MLB Team Outlook: Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have emerged strong this season and are well set for a spot in the postseason. They have been, by far, the best team in the National League Central division and are easily ranked among the top five teams in Major League Baseball this
season.
Their success this season has been a blend of various factors. They have not let their home fixtures slip away and their near-perfect record has compensated for their slight dip in performance on the road games. The Brewers are 47-16 at home this season
while their record on the road stands slender at 31-38. Overall, Milwaukee has managed to bag 78 victories this season while they have faced disappointment on 54 occasions only for a winning percentage of .591.
The Brewers are in tough contention with the Atlanta Braves for the second spot in the National League as both teams are divided by just .5 games. Milwaukee has a strong batting unit which is well complimented by an exciting yet experienced pitching rotation.
They have allowed 533 runs to competing teams this season but have gone a step ahead in scoring 587 runs against them. A run differential of 54 runs has strengthened their position atop their division.
In August alone, the Brewers have played 23 games and have dropped just five in this stretch. They have had two six-game winning-streaks in August thus far and this achievement is commendable. They managed to sweep past the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates
and New York Mets on home and away fixtures, highlighting their ability to adapt to conditions quickly.
The Brewers have managed to dictate terms from the plate this season and Prince Fielder has been at the core of this. The All-Star home-run derby captain has displayed immense power throughout the season and his 28 home-runs out of a total of 80 runs this
season is a plausible evidence of his form. His batting average is just below the .300 mark and he is slugging brilliantly at a percentage of .549.
Ryan Braun has been the highest run-getter for the Brewers this season and he is now just ten short of what would be a hundred runs in the season. His batting average at .330 is among the best on the circuit and his slugging has been effective too. Braun
has hammered 25 home-runs thus far and this number is expected to inflate as the Brewers unleash themselves for the playoffs.
Rickie Weeks has been a notable feature in Milwaukee’s line-up but injury kept him out from a few games. Nonetheless, he has still managed to bag 71 runs for the season at a decent batting average of .272.
Batting alone would not have been beneficial for the Brewers and the pitching staff was quick to realise that. The entire bull-pen has chipped in with commendable performances. Yovani Gallardo has been their ace pitcher this season with 14 wins in 27 starts
and just eight losses to his credit.
Shaun Marcum has played the perfect support role in the rotation with 17 quality starts in 27 outings. He has managed to convert 11 of these quality starts into wins and only four have ended in disappointment.
The Brewers have a strong case for making it through to the NL Championship Series this season and then a few good games can possibly see them through to the World Series too.
Note: Stats included are as of August 24, 2011.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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