Pitcher Junior Guerra faces challenge of repeating surprise season

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Junior Guerra had no real chance to make the Milwaukee Brewers’ roster in spring training last year.

Pitching strictly in relief during exhibition play, Guerra made four unimpressive outings, allowing seven hits, three walks and five runs in 5 2/3 innings (7.94 earned run average) before being reassigned to the Class AAA Colorado Springs.

“We probably didn’t find out enough about him because of the other decisions we had to make,” manager Craig Counsell admitted. “But he quickly impressed after going to the other side.”

Yes, he did.

In four starts at hitter-friendly Colorado Springs, Guerra compiled a 4.63 ERA and was throwing the ball well enough to get the call when struggling starter Taylor Jungmann was demoted to the Sky Sox at the end of April. What happened afterward was what Counsell called “the most pleasant surprise of the season.”

Guerra, a 31-year-old rookie, quickly evolved into one of the more impressive starters in the National League, going 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 20 starts. He produced 12 quality starts (7-1, 1.66) and the Brewers went 14-6 when he took the mound.

“It was unexpected," Counsell said. "There’s no question. He was a waiver claim (in October 2015). To have the season he did with the consistency he had, he was one of the top starting pitchers in the National League.”

It can be a bit dramatic sometimes to say a player came out of nowhere, but Guerra did. After being suspended for 50 games for violating baseball’s minor-league drug prevention and treatment program in 2009 while in the New York Mets' system, he became a baseball nomad.

Guerra was out of baseball for two years before resurfacing with the independent Wichita Wingnuts in 2011. He pitched in Mexico the next season, back to Wichita in 2013 and on to Italy in ’14 before finally getting back in organized baseball on a minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox.

RELATED: Wily Peralta hoping to build off strong finish in 2016

NOTES: Lewis Brinson has big day against former club

CAMP REPORT: Brewers top Rangers for first Cactus League victory

BY POSITION SERIES: SP | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS |  LF | RF | RP | BENCH

RELATED: Brewers spring training dates, facts

Summoned to the majors during the 2015 season, Guerra finally got to pitch at the highest level, making three relief appearances for the White Sox. When he was waived after the season, the Brewers quickly claimed him as new general manager David Stearns’ first personnel move.

“We’ve talked about this a lot, but everything that happened to Junior before last year put him in position for last year,” Counsell said. “He experienced a lot.  He has tried a lot, failed a lot. He has been a lot of places.

“It gives him this very grounded perspective on baseball, life off the field, on gratefulness. You certainly root for a guy like that.”

Guerra made his first start of the spring Monday against Texas, throwing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. With a spot in the rotation secured, he is in a much different position from a year ago but said he is taking nothing for granted.

“I’ve been blessed with this opportunity,” Guerra said through translator Carlos Brizuela. “Last year is last year. I’m glad that happened but now I have to work even harder and do my best to help the team win. This is a new year.”

The key to Guerra’s success is his devastating split-finger fastball, a throwback pitch that few modern-era pitchers feature. With sharp-breaking, downward action, it is a true swing-and-miss pitch – Guerra had 100 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings – but also can be hard on the elbow, one reason many pitchers shy away from it.

POLL

Sure enough, Guerra went on the disabled list in early August with elbow inflammation, missing a month of the season. He returned to make three starts and threw the ball well (1.88 ERA), says he feels fine this spring and certainly isn’t going to shy away from throwing splitters.

“The thing we learned (last spring) is that the split-finger, which is really the pitch that makes him dangerous, by nature that pitch takes a while to get going,” Counsell said. “It’s a difficult pitch (to command). That’s why a lot of guys don’t throw it.”

Now comes the hard part. It’s one thing to burst on the scene unexpectedly with a strong year, and it's another to do it again after hitters have seen your stuff and made adjustments.

Can Guerra repeat his success of 2016? Counsell admitted it is impossible to answer that question at this point.

“I think if you get a huge surprise like that, you can’t say you know exactly what to expect this year,” Counsell said. “I think everybody knows how he did it, and it was real. It was with quality stuff that made the hitters very uncomfortable.

“That’s the challenge of this league. Do it again. That’s always the challenge for these guys. Can you do it again?”

After what it took to get this far, the reserved Guerra isn’t worried about performing well in Act 2 with the Brewers. But he understands it is a “what have you done for me lately” business.

“That’s the way it is in the game,” he said. “We are judged on what we did today. But you’ve got to believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you can do it again and maybe even better.”