Predicting the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers

Every team in Major League Baseball has hope this time of year as Spring Training breaks and Opening Day is just around the corner. For Milwaukee's Brewers those hopes are tied to three main things. Those three things are simple. Firsts, it's the performance of Ryan Braun. Second, the overall health of the team, and finally the depth of their starting rotation. If things come out right in all three of those areas, the Brewers could be in the hunt for one of the two National League Wild Card spots and finish the season with 85 wins.

Let's first look at Ryan Braun. Back in January, I wrote that the Brewers needed Braun to be what the back of his baseball card says he is. Looking at the team that has come north from Maryvale Baseball Park, this couldn't be more true. If you read some of the projections in the fantasy baseball circles many are calling for Braun to be a shell of the player he was before last season when he missed 101 games between injury and suspension. I can't see that happening and his spring numbers show that. He hit a home run off the second pitch he saw this spring. he is motivated and primed to carry the team again. 

The key to him being able to do that is the second part of what will make the team successful: health. Last year from Braun, to Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez the Brewers had key parts missing lots of time and it showed with what the team did on the field. This season, Hart is gone and Weeks is in a platoon, so they are not as big of a part of this team. The others, however, are back in town and need to have solid years if the Brewers want to be impact players in the National League Central. Ramirez has looked like his old self in spring and has gotten over his knee injury from a year ago. Just like last year, though, it could come out of nowhere. For Gomez, he plays with such wreckless abandon, an injury is not out of the question every time he make a catch at the wall or a diving play in center field. 

Onto the starting pitching, where on paper, it would appear the Brewers have assembled one of their best staffs in recent memory outside of the 2011 team that won the NL Central. Yovani Gallardo will start Opening Day with Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza to follow, then Wily Peralta and Marco Estrada will round out the starting five. Lohse and Garza have shown flashes that they could be aces over the course of the last season while the youngsters in Peralta and Estrada will need to find consistency this season to cement their spots on the Brewers rotation. 

Some publications have had the Brewers finishing fourth in the division again and I could see that if things hold pat from last season when the the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates all made the postseason. Milwaukee does have the potential to push through and mix things up a bit. The first six weeks of the season could be telling with a hearty helping of intra-division games on the slate that could set things up for who will be in it in June and July. Last season, the Brewers stumbled in May going 6-22. To end the season eight games under .500, the team cannot afford to have that big of a set back if playoffs are going to be a possibility. 

PREDICTION

With the pieces the Brewers have this season and the chip on Braun's shoulder, this team can compete for a Wild Card spot and be 85-77 this season. Braun will have 35 homers and be in the MVP discussion. 

Francisco got robbed out of roster spot with Brewers

At the start of Spring Training if you had told me Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds would have beaten out "Fat" Juan Francisco for the platoon at first base, I would have probably agreed with you. After the dust settled Saturday night in Maryvale Francisco's locker was empty and he was the one heading out of camp. 

That doesn't mean the 26-year-old Francisco didn't do everything he could to improve himself at the plate and perform this spring because he did just that. In the end, it was his track record that did him in and inexperience at first base.

The numbers tell the story of a solid spring which followed up a pretty good Dominican Winter League for Francisco where in 40 games he hit .260 with 3 homers and 24 RBI, according to the 2014 Brewers Media Guide. His .346 average (9 of 26) were one of the best on the team of guys with over 15 ABs that paired well with his 3 HR and 6 RBI. He also drew eight walks to give him a .500 OBP and a .731 slugging percentage. He did strike out nine times, but that was by no means the tops on the team. In fact, that was middle of the road with the guys he was competing for the first-base job with besting him.

Overbay would be the one to look at most since he was the lefty and the Big O hit just .179 this spring (7 of 39) with a pair of doubles and eight walks with a lone RBI. His 15 strikeouts are tops on the team this spring. The 37-year-old had just a .319 on-base percentage and a .550 slugging percentage.

Now, I know what you're saying "An exhibition season doesn't make a season." While I'd agree with you, if a true platoon is going to be the plan at first base this season wouldn't you want to ride the hot hand into the season?

Unless a true platoon isn't going to happen there. If Reynolds is the starter and Overbay is just a defensive replacement and spot starter, then the move makes sense. Of the other options still available at first base that were in camp, only Hunter Morris has extended experience at the position. It's that or Martin Maldinado, Jeff Bianchi or Rickie Weeks playing there. 

Safe to say, barring a trade things could be rough at first again this season. We can only hope Doug Melvin knows what he's doing on this one.

Brewers impress with new Carlos Gomez bobblehead

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been critical of the Brewers and their selection of bobblehead giveaways for this season, as a whole. I mean, they aren't exactly impressive with guys that have not been on the team for a full season getting their own bobble, or going to the other direction with another Robin Yount bobble in yet another different uniform. As someone already with 65 bobbles in my collection, I'm allowed to be a littel critical and recognized as a bit of an expert.

That was, however, until the team unveiled the new Gold Glove Carlos Gomez bobblehead giveaway set for April 26. I was lucky enough to get a gold jersey'd Gomez bobble last season and was very impressed with it and this year's ups the ante while commemorating the first Brewers gold glover since Robin Yount.

A couple things play a part in me loving this bobble so much. The first is Gomez is fast becoming my favorite player. With Corey Hart out of town, and Braun in turmoil (I still love and support), Gomez was the bright spot of the team last season in making his first All-Star game. 

This bobble has the Gold Glove and his feet are not even on the ground! Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

This falls in line with the other bobble that has been released, although as a season-ticket-holder exclusive in the Jean Segura All-Star bobble from last season. The fact that it will be released in limited fashion will make it that much sweeter.

If the rest of the bobbles deliver like these have, already, I may have to eat crow in the bobblehead department this season.