Christian Yelich, William Contreras co-MVPs among Brew Crew Ball contributors
Paul Dietrich
MVP: William Contreras
I am fighting recency bias here: Contreras has clearly tired out over the past month and on the whole, Christian Yelich has certainly been a better hitter. But Contreras was the main reason that the Brewers got built the division lead that they did. We’ll hope that a little rest (take a day or two off, William) gets him back on track.
Cy Young: Bryan Hudson
He’s scuffled a bit lately, but Hudson has been outstanding and filled a huge role for this bullpen. With Joel Payamps and Hoby Milner scuffling and Devin Williams injured, somebody needed to step up, and Hudson has been excellent in a multi-inning role akin to Josh Hader’s first season or the type of thing that Andrew Miller was doing before that.
Trevor Megill has also been great, despite the blown save on Saturday.
Newcomer: Tobias Myers (with a shoutout to Joey Ortiz)
There have been a bunch of young players who have been valuable contributors, and Hudson could easily have been the choice here, but I’m going to go with Myers based on context. The starting rotation has been in shambles, multiple pitchers were lost for the season due to injuries, and their best pitcher has been frustratingly inconsistent. In steps Tobias Myers, with eight years of minor league ball with mixed success and someone that no one really expected to be a part of the major league picture this season.
I also want to quickly shout out Joey Ortiz, who has been great! I just think the team has needed what Myers has done more than it has needed what Ortiz has done.
Team Grade: A-
The last week has been a struggle, but that shouldn’t let us overlook the fact that the Brewers, who many people were expecting to finish fourth or fifth in the division, have held a comfortable lead for almost the whole season. There have been some troubling signs lately, but I expect the All-Star break will rejuvenate the squad and regardless, they’re well-positioned for the final third of the season.
Harrison Freuck
MVP: Christian Yelich
Yelich is my pick here for the second straight year. He’s looked like a different player over the last year-plus after a few down years from 2020-2022. With a strong .326/.412/.521 slash line, he leads the team with a .933 OPS and a 159 OPS+. He’s also found at least some remnants of his 2018-19 power surge, hitting 11 homers to go with 21 steals through 70 games, a 25 homer, 49 steal pace over a full 162-game season.
Cy Young: Bryan Hudson
It’s hard to pick against Hudson here. He’s been simply dominant, even if his 3.51 FIP represents some expected regression in the second half. All you’ve gotta do is look at his short stint with the Dodgers last season — he allowed seven earned runs in 8 2⁄3 innings (7.27 ERA) on 12 hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. In 48 1⁄3 innings with Milwaukee this year, he’s allowed eight earned runs (1.49 ERA) on 24 hits and 12 walks with 53 strikeouts. His ERA+ has improved from 62 to 284, even with a few rough outings to close out the first half of the season. And he only cost a former 20th-round pick!
Newcomer: Quantum Leap Brice Turang
This is a cheat on my part. I know Brice Turang isn’t a “newcomer,” but this iteration of Turang certainly is. He’s improved in just about every single category compared to his rough rookie year, hitting .277/.341/.390 (104 OPS+) with a team-high 30 steals while already matching his homer total (six) from a year ago. He’s also surpassed his hits (88 in 2023, 93 in 2024), doubles (nine to 16), and RBIs (34 to 38) while closing in on runs (46 to 45). He’s also done it while providing even better defense than a year ago, as he had a 1.7 dWAR in 137 games a season ago compared to a 1.9 dWAR in 93 games this year. He even leads the team in Baseball Reference’s WAR statistic at 4.0! Nobody could have predicted this version of Turang — except, of course, Pat Murphy.
Team Grade: A-
I picked the Brewers to finish in third place at 84-78 this season, three games behind the Cubs and one game behind the Reds. I am eating my words.
The Cubs have struggled under Craig Counsell, the Reds have been extremely streaky, the Pirates are hanging in there in third place, and the Cardinals have bounced back after a rough 2023 and a poor start to 2024. Even with a disappointing end to the first half, Milwaukee sits 4.5 games up in the division with a 55-42 record, putting them on pace to win around 92 games, which is the same number they finished 2023 with. Given the loss of Corbin Burnes and the injuries this team has faced all season, I think that warrants at least an A-.
Matt Gerrity
MVP: Christian Yelich
It seems like Christian Yelich might run away with this one again this year as he’s been one of the best hitters in baseball. Yelich’s 161 wRC+ ranks fourth among all qualified NL hitters. There have been several Brewers hitters with extended hot streaks this season, but Yelich has sustained his production throughout the entirety of the season. He has his lowest swinging strike rate since 2017, making more consistent contact while maintaining his power production from recent years.
Cy Young: Tobias Myers
It would have been hard to predict Tobias Myers being the best pitcher for Milwaukee by the All-Star break, but that’s what happened. His 3.13 ERA has been critical to a team that’s cycled through so many starters. Although his strikeout potential isn’t as impressive as someone like Freddy Peralta, Myers has done enough to induce weak contact and hold hitters to a .228 batting average.
Newcomer: Joey Ortiz
Joey Ortiz’s impact on the lineup has proved meaningful for a team that has otherwise struggled to get production from the third base position. Although he slowed in June, Ortiz’s season-long slash line of .264/.369/.432 has given insight to the versatile player he can be. He has a low strikeout rate with decent pop, tallying seven home runs so far. His bat helps shore up an otherwise underperforming slot in the lineup, making this Brewers lineup deeper and more dangerous.
Team Grade: A-
Nearly every aspect of this team has been highly impressive this season. While there were concerns entering the year about the team’s ability to withstand the losses of Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, the offense has exceeded expectations to offset those doubts. Milwaukee was one of the least convincing offenses in baseball last year, but now, they look like a top-10 lineup. Players like Christian Yelich and Willy Adames have played their part, but the development of players like Brice Turang has spurred forward an offense capable of winning in the playoffs. My only reservations are about the strength of the rotation. It might be enough to get to the playoffs, but how far will they be able to go against the best teams in baseball?
Jason Paczkowski
MVP: Christian Yelich
This was a tough call to make. I can see at least four different players that have an argument to fill this spot. In the end, I went with Christian Yelich as the team MVP. Despite missing a month on the IL, he’s been incredible this season. He’s leading the National League in batting average (.326) and is in the top five for wRC+ (161). His speed is back as well, with 21 stolen bases in 22 attempts. The defense has been good, though getting time as the DH has helped keep Yelich fresh. The biggest knock on him is the injury concern and if he will need another IL stint at some point to help manage his health. However, when he’s healthy, he’s been one of the best players in the league this season. It may not be at the MVP level that he was at in the past, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with on this Brewers team.
Cy Young: Bryan Hudson
With Devin Williams out, the Brewers needed someone to step up in the bullpen and help create shutdown innings. That pitcher has been Bryan Hudson. In his first season with the Brewers, he’s become a late-inning guy that can shut down an opposing offense. Through the end of June, he had a 0.82 ERA and 2.41 FIP. While that has jumped to 1.49 and 3.51 (respectively) with a couple of rough July outings, he still leads the team in ERA (minimum 30 innings). In 19 of his 33 appearances, he’s pitched multiple innings, helping keep bullpen usage down. He has one of the best strikeout rates on the team (9.9 K/9) and his walk rate has also been solid (2.2 BB/9). He doesn’t have a save or game finished this season, but that’s not needed when he has pitched this well.
Newcomer: Joey Ortiz
Coming into this season, one of the biggest holes on the team was at third base. The Brewers needed someone to step up and fill this spot. That has come from Joey Ortiz. After splitting time at third through most of April, he took over the role full time just a few weeks into the season. In 77 games, he’s second on the team in OBP (.369) and OPS (.801). He also has one of the lowest strikeout rates (17.1%) and highest walk rates (13.8%) on the team. Losing a couple weeks to the IL hurt a little, but he’s positioned to continue this performance past the All-Star break.
Team Grade: B+
Compared to where the Brewers were at the All-Star break last year, this team is looking much better. The offense has had an incredible turnaround in a year, and now they’re one of the better offenses in MLB. Meanwhile, despite the pitching injuries, the pitching staff has held together well enough to stay competitive. It’s not the dominant staff of previous years, but it’s been good enough so far. However, if the Brewers want to stay competitive this year, they need to reinforce their pitching. One reinforcement will be Devin Williams, who is getting closer to a return. Jared Koenig’s return will also help in the bullpen. If the Brewers can pull off a trade deadline acquisition and get a strong starting pitcher, they will become a team that can make a postseason run.