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After the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Brewers solidified their spot at the top of the NL Central by sweeping a road series against rivals the Cincinnati Reds and have not looked back since. With a record that is 11 games above .500 plus a three-game lead at the top of the division, the Brewers look like good bets to make the MLB Playoffs.
Still, there are concerns about Milwaukee down the stretch, especially given the team's poor offensive showings and occasional inconsistency out of the bullpen. With the playoffs soon approaching, here are the biggest apprehensions about the Brewers.
2 biggest concerns for Brewers heading into playoff stretch run
Offensive production at first base and designated hitter
The Brewers have numerous offensive weaknesses, but the most obvious is at first base. Milwaukee first basemen have a combined OPS of .627 this year, the worst of any Major League team at that position. Rowdy Tellez has been unable to repeat his 35-home run performance from last season and is without a round-tripper since May 22 (38 games and 135 plate appearances) while also missing the better part of the last two months. The team brought in Carlos Santana at the trade deadline to shore up the position, and while he has six homers in 20 games for the Brew Crew, he is batting just .181 during that stretch.
Adjacent to the offensive struggles at first base is an even larger gap in production at DH. Brewers DHs have a combined OPS of .641, also the worst among MLB clubs at the position. 19 different players have fulfilled that role, with Jesse Winker (.199 batting average, .567 OPS, and one home run in 197 plate appearances) making the most appearances at DH with 49. Deadline day acquisition Mark Canha has also slotted into the role as of late and is doing slightly better with a .228 average and an equal number of walks and strikeouts. Even with the team's trade additions, the lack of offensive production from the first base and designated hitter spots will hurt Milwaukee against more prolific offensive teams.
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Lack of bullpen experience and depth
The bullpen has been a strength for the Brewers over the last few years and is once again this year, though it is not quite as dominant as in the past. Milwaukee's relief corps has an ERA of 3.83 — fourth among National League clubs. The team is also known for its seemingly endless depth at the position. 15 Brewers have made at least 10 relief appearances for the team each of the last two seasons. This year, that number currently sits at nine, and would conceivably reach only as high as 10. This lack of depth is especially noticeable after a couple of bullpen-heavy days or during long road trips.
The Brewers also no longer have experience back-end bullpen guys like Brent Suter or Brad Boxberger to turn to in high-leverage situations. Instead, they have green pitchers like Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero. After lockdown closer Devin Williams, the next four guys in the Brewer bullpen have all performed well, with Payamps Peguero, Bryce Wilson, and Hoby Milner combining for a 2.78 ERA. But after that is Abner Uribe, the hard-throwing righty with a 1.08 ERA who made his MLB debut last month, Trevor Megill and a middling 4.29 ERA, and Andrew Chafin — a vet who has allowed seven runs in seven appearances. Plus, outside of Williams, Milwaukee relievers have converted just 9/25 save opportunities.
Joel Payamps has proven himself to be a consistent set-up man, but Milwaukee's young relievers will need to continue to step up this fall if the team is going to make a playoff run.
