Jonathan Lucroy was an MVP candidate in 2014, can he bounce back?
2015: 68-94, fourth place in the National League Central
Two seasons ago, the Brewers spent most of the season in first place of the National League Central Division but a late season collapse and a 2015 injury filled season has led to a complete overhaul of the roster and management structure. David Stearns was hired as the club’s general manager in September and has committed to building the Brewers through the farm system and the draft similar to his days in Houston. Familiar departed faces from 2015’s opening day roster include Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez, Adam Lind, Khris Davis, Gerardo Parra, Jean Segura and closer Francisco Rodriguez. For Brewers fans and fantasy players you will likely need a program to recognize their lineup throughout the year but there are some players who could still help your fantasy team this year.
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Projected Lineup:
- Scooter Gennett 2B
- Jonathan Lucroy C
- Ryan Braun LF
- Chris Carter 1B
- Domingo Santana RF
- Aaron Hill 3B
- Jonathan Villar SS
- Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF
Lineup overview: Only three of the players in the starting lineup were on the opening day roster last year. The roster could look vastly different as the Brewers continue to upgrade their minor league talent. Ryan Braun was moved back to left field with Domingo Santana, who was acquired last season in the Carlos Gomez trade, will patrol right field because of his big arm. Centerfield is up for grabs, with as many as nine players vying for the position. Nieuwenhuis is the leading candidate with his 273 major league at-bats but none should be fantasy relevant to begin the season. Chris Carter will be intriguing at first base and will hit his share of home runs. He hit 24 last season in 391 at-bats but also struck out 151 times. Aaron Hill and Jonathan Villar are veteran fill-ins to begin the season as the Brewers will likely begin a stream of minor league callups beginning with top prospect shortstop Orlando Arcia.
Projected Rotation:
Rotation Overview: While chasing wins in fantasy baseball can be difficult, it is safe to say that Brewers starting pitching will take its share of losses this season. There are a couple arms, however, that can be helpful in deep mixed or National League fantasy league drafts. Taylor Jungmann showed some promise going 9-8 with a 3.77 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 21 starts. Zach Davies showed potential in his six starts last season and Jorge Lopez who went 12-5 at AA Biloxi are candidates to join the Brewers starting rotation this season. You may want to avoid Wily Peralta and Matt Garza who are coming off disaster seasons with a 4.80 and a 5.63 ERA respectively. The best of the bunch is Jimmy Nelson who showed his durability making 30 starts last season.
Projected Bullpen:
Bullpen Overview: Will Smith will likely open the season as the Brewers closer but left-handers, unless they are dominating do not last long as closers. Look for Jeremy Jeffress to get the bulk of the save opportunities by mid-season. Michael Blazek will be a valuable member of the Brewers staff in a variety of roles and Corey Knebel would likely see save opportunities should either Smith or Jeffress get injured or fail to hold the job.
Stud: Ryan Braun (OF)
Braun is coming off of a very good 2015 season where he batted .285 with 25 home runs, 84 RBI and 24 steals. Most importantly he proved to be durable, playing in 140 games and getting 506 at-bats. Braun did have offseason surgery on his back in October but has reported to spring training on time and is scheduled to be ready for opening day. He is the most important hitter in the Brewers’ lineup and a productive member in any fantasy lineup but look for his steal totals to take a dip as the Brewers try to manage his back and seek to keep him in the lineup for a full season.
Bounce-Back Candidate: Jonathan Lucroy (C)
Lucroy’s injury-riddled 2015 season began with a hamstring injury in spring training, followed by a foul tip off the toe in April that sidelined him for another two months. He never really was able to get on track, batting .264 with seven home runs in 103 games. This season he is fully healthy and could return to his All-Star form of 2014 where he batted .301 with 13 home runs. He is also a candidate for a trade this season, and a move to a better team with a more potent lineup would only increase Lucroy’s fantasy value.
Sleeper: Jeremy Jeffress (RP)
Even the worst teams in the majors manage to win at least 60 games a season. Jeffress did well in the Brewers pen last season making 72 appearances, going 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 68 innings. With the closer position in fantasy being volatile, Jeffress is someone to keep on your radar and could be the closer my mid-season.
Bust: Scooter Gennett (2B)
Some will be tempted by the fact that Gennett will likely bat leadoff for the Brewers. The truth is they have very little other options for that role to start the season. Gennett hits for a decent batting average. He hit .264 last season but he doesn’t run and provides little power. He hit six home runs last season with a .381 slugging percentage, and he stole only one base in four attempts last season. After the first group of second baseman are drafted most of the rest are all the same, but with little power and speed, you can leave Gennett off of your radar.
Late-Round Flier: Jimmy Nelson (SP)
Jimmy Nelson completed his first full season last year, getting 30 starts and proved to be steady and reliable for the Brewers and can do the same for your fantasy pitching staff. He finished the year 11-13 with an ERA of 4.11 and 148 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. Nelson isn’t spectacular but he is only 26 and should improve his ratios this year, even if wins may be hard to come by.
Prospect to Watch: Orlando Arcia (SS)
He is the top prospect in the Brewers system and rated No. 12 on MLB.com’s top 100 list. His glove is major league ready and will likely be a speed and contact player as a Brewer. Last season in AA Biloxi, Arcia batted .307 with a .343 OBP. He hit eight home runs and stole 25 bases in 31 attempts.
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Rob Klein is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Rob, check out his archive and follow him @RobK37.
