Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Options at DH for the 2020 Season

With the DH coming to the NL for the 2020 season, here are three candidates to take those at-bats for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Along with a shortened 60 game season, there are some additional rule changes coming to Major League Baseball as well. And one in particular that will have a significant impact on the Milwaukee Brewers is that the designated hitter (DH) is coming to the NL for at least the 2020 season.

Although each year the Brewers seem to have a few pitchers come up with some big hits here and there, the addition of the DH is certainly going to be in their favor. We all know how much Craig Counsell loves to play matchups, and this gives him another opportunity to do just that. Also, this is a deep team that GM David Stearns has put together, which leaves Milwaukee with several options at DH.

But which players could we see get the most at-bats there this season?

Well, the way I see it is that there are three players in particular who could end up taking a majority of those DH at-bats in 2020 for the Brewers. So let’s take a peek at who they are.

Logan Morrison

Logan Morrison was a non-roster invitee to spring training and surprised many with the performance that he had put together before play was canceled. In his 33 plate appearances, Morrison slashed .300/.364/.600 with three home runs.

However, even with his solid start to camp, Morrison was far from a lock to make the Opening Day roster. But now with the expanded rosters and the addition of the DH, those odds have certainly improved. It was just a few years ago that Morrison recorded a 38 home run season with a 133 OPS+ and in 2020 with the Milwaukee Brewers, he can add some more pop to this lineup.

Omar Narvaez

The Milwaukee Brewers traded for Omar Narvaez this past offseason after losing Yasmani Grandal to free agency. While there are concerns about his defense at the catcher position, there are not concerns about his bat.

Over his four-year big league career, Narvaez has slashed .276/.361/.411 with an OPS+ of 112 and 34 home runs, 22 of which came in 2019. As the DH, it would allow the Brewers to keep Narvaez’ bat in the lineup more regularly while having Manny Pina – the superior defensive catcher – behind the plate.

Ryan Braun

With the offseason addition of Avisail Garcia, Ryan Braun was going to be splitting time at first base with Justin Smoak. But now with the DH coming to the NL, he is the favorite to take those at-bats for the Brewers in 2020.

At 36-years-old, Braun’s playing time has to be monitored in order to keep him healthy and his bat in the lineup as much as possible. However, now that the DH is an option, Braun isn’t going to have to be in the field nearly as much and the Brewers get the benefit of having his bat available more often.

And considering that Braun is coming off a 2019 season where he hit .285 with 22 home runs and a logged an .849 OPS, that is certainly a good thing for this Milwaukee Brewers’ offense.