2017 Milwaukee Brewers team grades

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

SEASON WRAPUP CHAT: Tom Haudricourt at 1 p.m. Tuesday

TEAM GRADES

OFFENSE

The Brewers were an all-or-nothing, home-run reliant team that struck out far too often, setting a major-league record for whiffs (1,571) for the second consecutive season. That was all well and good in the first half, when they led the National League with 138 homers and scored 451 runs (4.96 per game), sixth-most in the majors. But when the home runs slowed down after the all-star break (86 in 71 games, ranking 24th in the majors), so did the runs. The Brewers scored 281 runs after the break, next-to-last in the majors, and averaged one run fewer per game (3.96) than in the first half, the difference between winning and losing many close games. They were terrible in the clutch, batting .239 with runners in scoring position (26th in the majors), including .214 with two outs. The Brewers led the NL with 128 stolen bases, but that was a big drop from 2016 (181), mostly because Jonathan Villar (62 steals last season) forgot how to get on base. The offense would have been much better had Villar not disappeared and Ryan Braun stayed healthy. But newcomers Travis Shaw and Eric Thames provided left-handed pop with 31 HRs each, and Domingo Santana took a big step forward (.876 OPS). The Brewers finished with 732 runs, ranking 10th in the NL. As manager Craig Counsell said at season’s end, that’s not good enough when you play in an offensive ballpark such as Miller Park. Grade: C-plus

DEFENSE

The good news for the Brewers was that they decreased their error total from 136 in 2016 to 115. The bad news was that total was second-highest in the major leagues, behind only the 121 committed by the Oakland A’s. Milwaukee’s fielding percentage of .981 ranked 28th out of 30. Shortstop Orlando Arcia’s 20 errors were tops on the team. Going by the metrics, catcher Manny Piña was easily the best defender, finishing 10th in the majors in defensive Wins Against Replacement (WAR) at 1.9 and being credited with saving 13 runs. He also tied for the major-league lead with six pickoffs. Arcia was closest with six runs saved. Also according to the metrics, Domingo Santana’s play was much improved in right compared to last year, and utility man Hernán Pérez was markedly better in the outfield than the infield. The team turned 164 double plays, tied for sixth-most in the majors. The Brewers led the majors by shifting 1,816 times, or just over 11 times per game, per FanGraphs.com. Opponents hit .296 against them when shifted. Last year the Brewers shifted 1,735 times – third-most – and teams hit .305 against them. Grade: D-plus

STARTING PITCHING

All starting rotations undergo changes over the long season, but the Brewers took that to an extreme, beginning on opening day when Junior Guerra was lost for six weeks with a calf strain. At season’s end, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies were the lone survivors from the original five, though Jimmy Nelson made it to early September before suffering a significant shoulder injury. Wily Peralta quickly pitched his way out of the rotation, Guerra was never the same after his injury, Matt Garza melted down at the worst possible time down the stretch and Tommy Milone came and went in the early weeks. Swingman Brent Suter proved invaluable in filling holes, making 14 starts and compiling a 3.45 ERA. Rookie Brandon Woodruff, who has a promising future, came up from the minors to take regular turns over the final weeks. Despite all of those obstacles, and primarily because of the trio of Anderson, Davies and Nelson, the rotation forged a 4.10 ERA, fifth-best in the NL, and the staff combined for 12 shutouts, tied for second. One issue, particularly early in the season, was failing to go deep in games. The starters pitched only 873 innings, ranking 12th in the league. Davies was the only starter to take all of his turns, until he was skipped on the final, meaningless day. Starters kept their walks down (282, third-fewest in the NL) but ranked only 12th in strikeouts (731). Nelson will start next season on the disabled list, meaning management has to find some rotation help. Grade: B-minus

RELIEF PITCHING

The relief corps was used at a high rate from the outset because of a shaky start to the season by the starting rotation. As a result, the bullpen’s total of 572 2/3 innings was fifth-most in the majors and third-most in the NL. The 3.83 ERA was ninth in the majors, fifth in the NL and third in the Central Division behind the Cubs and Cardinals, impressive considering the workload. The pen’s 615 strikeouts – bolstered by Corey Knebel’s incredible 126 – ranked sixth in the majors and third in the NL. On the downside, 271 walks were second-most in the majors. A total of 26 pitchers threw in relief, including an inning from utility man Hernán Pérez. There were many moving parts early, when free-agent closer Neftali Feliz was removed from his role in mid-May and replaced by Knebel. Knebel took the baton and ran with it, becoming an all-star while posting one of the most statistically impressive seasons ever for a Brewers closer. The late-season addition of Anthony Swarzak gave the Brewers a reliable setup man and allowed power arms Jacob Barnes and Josh Hader to be used in different ways. Manager Craig Counsell again did a good job with matchups despite a dearth of left-handed options. Grade: B

BENCH

Don’t use the word “bench” around Craig Counsell, who refers to all non-pitchers as his position player group. That’s because he used that depth to help build a better season than expected, giving everyone as much playing time as possible. Hernán Pérez continued to be one of the most versatile players in the league, even pitching an inning, and first baseman Jesús Aguilar made a big impact off the bench, providing a right-handed alternative to Eric Thames, particularly against lefties. Infielder Eric Sogard came up from the minors and made his presence known in the leadoff spot after Jonathan Villar played his way out of regular action. Catcher Stephen Vogt, acquired in-season, provided yet another lefty bat to balance the lineup. Counsell said at the outset of the season he thought the team’s depth was much improved, and that was the case. Grade: B

MANAGER/COACHES

Craig Counsell set the tone for a mostly young and inexperienced group in spring training, continuing a positive culture while preaching there would be no limits despite the rebuilding process. He worked through numerous obstacles and guided his unheralded team to Game 161 before being eliminated from postseason contention. Managing jobs don’t get much better than that. Counsell isn’t big on excuses and coaxed his team to play with consistency and resiliency despite some tough stretches, particularly to open the second half, when the Brewers lost their 5 1/2-game lead in the NL Central. He and his staff did a tremendous job of maximizing the talent on hand, remaining successful for the stretches Ryan Braun was out and using the bullpen to the team’s advantage down the stretch when the rotation was hit by injuries. Counsell showed more patience with Jonathan Villar and Matt Garza than fans would have liked but had his reasons. Pitching coach Derek Johnson helped Jimmy Nelson, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies take the next step, raising his profile considerably. All of the coaches were invited back for 2018, demonstrating the faith management has in the group to continue teaching and developing players. Expectations will rise next season. Grade: A-minus

FRONT OFFICE/OWNERSHIP

Consider the moves that general manager David Stearns made over the off-season to improve the club: Travis Shaw (trade with Boston), Eric Thames (signing out of Korea), Jesús Aguilar (waiver claim), Eric Sogard (minor-league signing). Yes, there was a big miss with Neftali Feliz, but Stearns showed he was willing to cut bait early and move on rather than compounding the problem. It appears that Jonathan Villar did Stearns a real favor by turning down a proposal for a $23 million contract extension in the spring, though perhaps Villar would have relaxed and played better with that security. In the process, Stearns waived Scooter Gennett, who went on to a huge year with Cincinnati, getting an opportunity he wouldn’t have had with the Brewers. The in-season additions of catcher Stephen Vogt, second baseman Neil Walker, and relievers Anthony Swarzak and Jeremy Jeffress, helped the Brewers battle for the playoffs until the next-to-last day of the season. Stearns also has built tremendous depth in the minors, which can be used to trade for other needs or eventually filter to the majors. Owner Mark Attanasio bought the Class A Carolina Mudcats to provide some affiliation stability and is open to other such moves. The Brewers had a very low payroll (less than $60 million), but that was a reflection of the youth and inexperience on the roster in the early stages of the rebuild. Attanasio has shown he will spend when the time is right. Grade: A-minus

OVERALL

It was painful for the Brewers to finish one victory shy of a showdown with Colorado for the second wild-card berth after playing 162 games. The staff and players no doubt dissected many games in their minds they thought they should have won to avoid that fate. But, keeping things in perspective, who expected the Brewers to compete for the postseason at this early stage of their large-scale rebuilding process? They were considered too young and inexperienced to be ready for that level of play but used a strong clubhouse chemistry and more talent than given credit for to put together an entertaining and compelling season, giving their fan base one heck of a ride. The result suggests the rebuild is ahead of schedule, which puts the Brewers in the unexpected position of keeping much of the group intact for 2018. Many players stepped forward in a big way and will have to continue to do so to avoid a regression next season. The Brewers improved by 13 victories from the previous season and won’t need that much of a jump next year to make the playoffs. The overall grade is reflective of the intangibles the players displayed in bonding as well as how much they exceeded expectations. Grade: B-plus

FREE AGENTS

RHP Matt Garza, INF Eric Sogard, RHP Anthony Swarzak, INF Neil Walker.

ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE

RHP Chase Anderson, RHP Jeremy Jeffress, RHP Corey Knebel (Super 2), RHP Jimmy Nelson, INF/OF Hernán Pérez, RHP Carlos Torres, INF Jonathan Villar, C Stephen Vogt.