Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys
.In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked fans which area of the team was most concerning as the Brewers near another playoff run. The results showed two clear frontrunners among the three options:
With 126 votes in total, the team’s starting pitching garnered 52% of the vote, closely
followed by 45% for the offense and just 3% for the bullpen. Given the split between the starting rotation and the offense, I’ll touch on both.
One quick disclaimer, though: Even if these are areas of concern, the Brewers still rank among the league’s best in both areas. Entering this weekend’s series against the Reds, the offense ranks top five in the majors in OPS (.739), runs scored (742), and steals (143). On the mound, the team ranks second in team ERA (3.56) and strikeouts (1,406), including a 3.63 starting ERA (fifth) and 839 strikeouts by starters (second).
Offensively, the biggest concern is probably a lack of a big bat — think players like Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper for the Phillies, or Pete Crow-Armstrong for the Cubs. Milwaukee does have a bunch of solid offensive players who, altogether, have made the Crew one of the best offenses in baseball with a balanced, small-ball approach. But they don’t hit a lot of homers — they rank last in the league with just 137 this season, far behind some of their NL competition in the Cubs (204), Braves (183), Dodgers (180), and Phillies (173). That usually doesn’t bode well for teams trying to win the World Series, as Paul explored earlier this season.
The offense also has a tendency to suddenly go completely quiet. We learned that the hard way in last year’s postseason, when the offense scored just four runs in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLCS.
For the starting rotation, there are two clear stars at the top — Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson — but a whole lot of question marks behind them. Kyle Harrison had a fantastic start to the season but has been roughed up several times this year, including in each of his last two outings against the Cubs and Reds. Dustin May looked solid out of the trade deadline but hasn’t looked great in his last few outings. Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser often deal with a lot of traffic on the basepaths and don’t strike out a ton of guys.
How will Pat Murphy and Co. address these issues? Only time will tell, but I have faith in the two-time reigning NL Manager of the Year. And if you don’t think the Brewers have what it takes to make the World Series, well, a lot of other people do. In one of this week’s national Reacts surveys, they asked: “Who will win the NL pennant?” The Brewers led the voting with 37%, outpacing the two-time reigning champion Dodgers (33%), Cubs (13%), Braves (7%), Phillies (6%), and D-backs/Padres (3%).
Think the Brewers can win the NL pennant for just the second time ever and the first time since 1982? Think they can claim their first World Series ever? Be sure to check out FanDuel Sportsbook for all your betting needs, where the Brewers currently have +600 odds to win the championship.
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