Milwaukee Brewers: Quick Takeaways from the first five games

Since the home opener thriller, the Milwaukee Brewers went on to lose three straight with some lackluster offense before breaking the slump on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs.

Many experts and models predict the Milwaukee Brewers having a decent season and a shot in a “down” NL Central. Ultimately, only time will tell if the slow start is cause for more concern. After trading away Orlando Arcia and committing to Luis Urias, the everyday lineup looks more or less set.

Milwaukee Brewers Offense

The stars are underperforming early, but Omar Narvaez has been a bright spot leading the way in hits (7), total bases (13) average (.500), and slugging (.727) through the first handful of games. Travis Shaw has also made the most of his early opportunities, putting up two 3-RBI games in both of the team’s wins this year.

Keston Hiura and Christian Yelich have struggled heavily, with Hiura going an almost impressive 0-for-15 with 8 strikeouts. Yelich has only managed 3 hits in his 15 at-bats this year with 9 strikeouts and is still looking to bounce back from last season’s down year. Off-season signing Kolten Wong has struggled to make contact like just about everyone else but he has at least managed to get a few walks and he was also hit by a pitch, which has helped offset the early slump at the plate.

Offensively, the Brewers are one of the worst teams in the majors through the first five games with 12 strikeouts per game (including 17 in the near no-hitter against the Twins) and need to at least put the ball in play or be more selective at the plate going forward.

Milwaukee Brewers Pitching

Josh Hader picks up right where he left off, dominating his only inning of work so far with 3 strikeouts. The two-time NL Reliever of the year hasn’t had many opportunities yet but looks just as solid as he has in his award-winning seasons.

Corbin Burnes opened the season on the wrong end of a pitcher’s duel, getting the loss after 6.1 innings giving up just one hit and an eventual game-losing home run against Byron Buxton. His 11 strikeout performance went to waste with practically no offensive support throughout the game.

Freddy Peralta also put up a solid game to break the slump against the Cubs, allowing just one hit through his 5.0 innings of work. Peralta looks like he’s earned his spot in the rotation for now.

What’s Up Next?

The Brewers wrap up with a getaway game against the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon before heading off to a 3-game series against the division favorite St. Louis Cardinals. The road series will be a good early test for the offense to get back on track.