Milwaukee Brewers: New Identity for the Crew
How does that phrase go? Defense wins championships? The Milwaukee Brewers appear to believe that motto, as today it was announced that they agreed to a two-year, $24 million deal with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
The deal was in the works for a while, as Robert Murray of FanSided reported that the Brewers had interest in Bradley as early as February 22nd. With this signing, the Brewers continue building upon a new identity that should last several years.
The last time the Brewers tried using the “four starting-caliber outfielders approach” was 2018, when they used a mix of Ryan Braun, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, and Domingo Santana. The 2018 edition of the Crew was based around hitting, specifically hitting for extra bases. That team finished in the top five in home runs and in the top ten in slugging percentage in the league that season.
The Brewers fiddled around with lineups and tried various experiments to get their big bats in the lineup. This included having Braun play some at first base. Also, mid-season acquisition Mike Moustakas turned into the Brewers’ starting second basemen for a time, a position in which he had previously never logged a major league inning.
To the Brewers and David Stearns’ credit, the out-of-the-box experiments worked. The Brewers reached Game 7 of the NLCS, the closest they have come to a World Series since 1982.
The 2021 Milwaukee Brewers will be nothing like the 2018 team. Rather than revolving around hitting for extra bases and home runs, a focus on pitching, defense, and small ball may be returning to Milwaukee. Signing Bradley Jr. is another sign of the Brewers’ identity change.
The Brewers can now field an entire outfield of former Golden Glove winners in Yelich, Cain, and Bradley Jr. The infield will now feature Kolten Wong at second base, who year-after-year has proven to be one of the best defenders in the league and is a Gold Glove winner himself. Many Piña also consistently ranks as one of the better defensive catchers in the league. This team might be the best defensive Brewers team in a long time.
Instead of hitting home runs, the Brewers will be much more focused on getting on base and using their great speed and athleticism to score runs. The only true power bats the Brewers have now are Yelich, Keston Hiura, potentially Omar Narvaez, and Travis Shaw—if the Brewers decide to bring him to the big league roster. Rather than having power bats in the 1-7 batting slots like 2018, the Brewers will focus on simply getting on base. It could be a refreshing change.
The Milwaukee Brewers already have really good pitching, and with the signing of Bradley Jr., pitching should get even more defensive help. There are sure to be jaw-dropping plays made in the outfield that will save runs and, in the end, help win ballgames.
There is still much to be figured out on the Brewers roster and depth chart as they move talent around. But in a full 162 game season, acquiring another elite outfielder might be a great move, especially with an aging Cain, who is turning 35 soon, and Garcia, who is looking to bounce-back.
Next. Brewers Sign Jackie Bradley Jr. to 2-year Deal. dark
The Milwaukee Brewers will not score as many runs as they have in previous years. But they should give up far fewer runs than they have in recent years. The new Brewers will be fast, crazy, and fun to watch. What do you think of the Brewers’ new identity?