Photo Credit: AP/CBSSports.com
By: Zach Cook
Lost in the chaotic month of March – from NFL free agency to college basketball – is the beginning of the spring training.
The Milwaukee Brewers reported to spring training earlier this month after a disappointing end to the 2014 campaign – a season in which they failed to reach the playoffs after leading the NL Central for 150 days. Yovani Gallardo and Marco Estrada have since departed, first baseman Adam Lind has been added, but for the most part, the 2015 Brewers look similar to the 2014 team … Is that a good thing or bad thing?
As they prepare for their April 6 opening day matchup against the Colorado Rockies, there are three players that Brewers fan should keep an eye on.
1. Taylor Jungmann
The Brewers’ first pick in the 2011 draft is currently penciled in as the team’s sixth starter – the same position that current starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson held last spring training.
The starting rotation seems to be set in stone for the beginning of the 2015 season: Kyle Lohse, Matt Gara, Wily Peralta, Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson. So you may be asking yourself: Why is Jungmann someone to keep an eye on?
It is almost a certainty for ever major league team a starting pitcher will suffer some sort of injury throughout the 162-game season. It is especially vital this season, with an improved NL Central, that the Brewers have a sixth option ready and waiting. Enter, Jungmann.
He is the team’s highest-drafted pitching prospect and is its No. 11 overall prospect in the organization, according to the Brewers’ official website. After struggling with his command in 2013 at Huntsville, he responded by combing for a 2.38 ERA between AA and AAA ball in just over 200 innings in 2014.
His command had been in issue during his first few years in the minors, but early indications this spring have shown he has worked out some of those kinks. His fastball has more velocity than in years past, and he’s gotten the fifth-most work for any starting pitcher this spring training.
In four innings of work, Jungmann has struck out four batters and has yet to allow a run. His command has also looked sharp over his brief stint this spring, allowing just two hits and two walks.
Injuries to Lohse and Garza last season opened up the door for Nelson – another high draft pick – to display his talents. That opportunity ultimately earned Nelson the No. 5 spot in this year’s rotation. Garza has said he is switching his mechanics this year to enhance his durability, but history has shown both he and Lohse have struggled to stay fully healthy for an entire season.
Jungmann is the most qualified prospect to fulfill the “spot start” role, should one of the other five go down, so expect him to get a lot of work this spring from manager Ron Roenicke and pitching coach Rick Kranitz. Let’s just hope they have all washed their hands prior to any contact.
2. Rob Wooten
The Brewers bullpen – or lack thereof – was an area that really showed fatigue towards the end of last season after getting so much work early on. The Brewers added a few more arms to pen this offseason, adding lefty Neal Cotts, and two former closers in Chris Perez and Francisco Rodriguez.
If last year proved anything when it comes to a major league bullpen, it’s that you simply cannot have enough arms at every level from A-AAA. One player that has gotten a lot of praise from the Brewers’ coaching staff this spring has been Wooten.
Although he had a less-than-stellar 2014 season, posting a 4.72 ERA in his 40 appearances, his performance this spring indicates that he will be one of the five or six relievers competing for the final three spots in the bullpen.
He has been the most-active pitcher this spring with 5.2 innings of work and has been extremely efficient. He has not allowed a run, while striking out seven and holding hitters to a .200 average.
3. Ryan Braun
Coming off his 50-game suspension in 2013, Braun had a forgetful 2014 season. Brewers fans hoped to see an MVP-caliber outfielder, but they saw anything but.
He had career lows in batting average (.266), OPS% (.777), SLG% (.453), OBP% (.324) hits (141), home runs (19) and RBIs (81). He battled a nagging thumb injury all season but has since undergone successful surgery.
Posting career lows across he board, just one year removed from a performance-enhancing drug suspension is not a good look, but perhaps the thumb injury was most responsible for Braun’s dip in production. If his offense don’t approach his pre-injury production, the Brewers will have a hard time getting to .500 this season.
Like it or not, Braun is committed to the Brewers through 2020 after signing a five-year, $105 million extension in 2011. His $13 million cap hit for 2015 ranks sixth among right fielders. With money come expectations.
His 2015 spring training work has been limited due to an illness – apparently not pink eye related – but he seems to be struggling. He has failed to register a hit in seven at-bats with two walks and two strikeouts. I guess Will Ferrell is always is an option at right field. Word out of Angels camp is that he’s versatile.
Zach Cook is an intern with The Fan and a student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. You can hear him on the Saturday Morning Showcase 8:00-10:00 and follow him on Twitter @ZCooksTweets.
