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Milwaukee Brewers MVP, Best Newcomer, and other season awards

By Kenny Jilek

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 04: Daniel Vogelbach #21 hits a foul ball to left. during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 04, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 04: Daniel Vogelbach #21 hits a foul ball to left. during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 04, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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MEDAL RESULT | Best Newcomer

Eric Yardley

Tyrone Taylor

Justin Topa

There were certainly lots of new additions that didn’t work out this season, but a few guys were able to step up and give the Crew some good at-bats and innings on the mound. All three guys on the podium basically came out of nowhere with a total of 25 games played between them, but they all became contributors to this year’s team.

Eric Yardley’s only major league work before 2020 came last season when he pitched 11 2/3 innings for the Padres and had an ERA of just 2.31, yet they decided to let him go after the season. The Milwaukee Brewers picked him up and he was one of their most effective relievers this season. The 30-year-old sidewinder posted a 1.54 ERA in 23 1/3 innings this season while only allowing two home runs. He also threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the Wild Card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and kept the Brewers in the game. His biggest tools are deception and his ability to induce ground balls. The average launch angle for the MLB was 11.9 degrees this season, while hitters’ average launch angle against Yardley was just 3.9 degrees.

Tyrone Taylor, possibly the most well-known FedEx employee in the world, had only played in 15 games and totaled just 10 at-bats last season. This year, he upped those numbers to 22 games and 38 at-bats. His .793 OPS ranked third on the team, not counting Lorenzo Cain who played just five games. Like Ryan Braun, most of his success was due to his power numbers. Of his nine hits, four were doubles and two home runs. That makes for a great slugging percentage of .500. If he wants to break into a log-jammed Brewers outfield next season, he’ll have to hit for more contact and get on base more often.

Last, someone no one really expected to make an impact on the major league level this season, Justin Topa. He had no previous major league experience and at 29-years-old he was likely close to not ever getting a shot. In 7 2/3 innings, he had a 2.35 ERA and struck out 14.1 batters per nine innings. His fastball had plenty of life, averaging 97.5 miles per hour and no one got a hit off of his slider. The fastball-slider is not a new thing, we see it in tons of effective relievers like Aroldis Chapman and Josh Hader, but it’s effective and it’s worked for Topa so far in his young big league career.

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