2022 record: 86-76, second in National League Central
Offseason headlines: Milwaukee’s pitching staff might be under a bit of duress heading into the regular season, but it isn’t necessarily by virtue of subtraction. Sure, the Brewers lost Brad Boxberger, Taylor Rogers and Trevor Gott, but the more pressing issue is the team’s relationship with ace Corbin Burnes, who lost an arbitration case regarding his salary in February. The 2021 Cy Young Award winner has said he felt disrespected in the process, and he wasn’t shy when it came to sharing his grievances with the situation. Perhaps success can help mend the relationship between both parties, though. Milwaukee didn’t make the playoffs last season despite scoring the 10th-most runs in the majors. In an effort to get over the hump, the Brewers traded for left fielder Jesse Winker, who dropped off in his lone season with the Mariners in 2022 just one year after hitting .305 with 24 homers and 71 RBIs in Cincinnati.
Spring storylines: With Devin Williams now Milwaukee’s closer, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold hinted that one of two right-handers, Jake Cousins or Peter Strzelecki, could step into the setup role, but said that decision was up to manager Craig Counsell. On the offensive side, Mike Brosseau was a pleasant surprise this spring, hitting .423 with five homers and 11 RBIs in the first 11 games of spring training. Keston Hiura was on the opposite side of the spectrum with a .sub-.200 average, but he wasn’t in a panic. “I’ve had better springs statistically, but I still feel fine with where I’m at,” Hiura said.
Young guns: Milwaukee’s top four prospects according to MLB.com are all outfielders, with Garrett Mitchell (No. 4-rated prospect) having a solid spring after breaking into the major leagues last season. Sal Frelick (No. 2) and Joey Wiemer (No. 3) are expected to join the Brewers sometime this season, while 19-year-old Jackson Chourio — the No. 8-ranked prospect in all of Major League Baseball according to MLB.com — likely will start the season in Double-A Biloxi. “Don’t hold me to that, because I know we’re still having real conversations with it,” Arnold said about where Chourio will end up.
Fall feeling: The Brewers sat atop the NL Central throughout the entirety of July and first couple days of August in 2022 before a sloppy finish forced them to turn their sights to the wild-card race. They’ll likely be battling for a wild-card berth once again, one that certainly won’t be guaranteed with such a loaded National League.
Odds, even: While it might not be the favorite to win the division, Milwaukee at least poses a threat to the Cardinals and sits at +165 and +175 on FanDuel and DraftKings, respectively, to dethrone St. Louis. Both FanDuel and DraftKings have the Brewers making the playoffs at -110 odds, while Caesars has them at +110.
–Field Level Media
