Which player has the highest ceiling, or lowest floor, this year?
If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to make another run at a division title, it might require a few things to go right. But that’s a prerequisite for any team hoping to make an impact on the playoff picture.
As the 2025 season approaches, which players have the biggest “boom or bust” potential on the roster?
Christian Yelich
While Yelich has been a crucial part of the Brewers’ lineup for years, it might be easy to overlook the fact that he’s actually gotten better the last few seasons. Yelich has improved by wRC+ each successive year for three seasons now. When at his best, he might be one of the best hitters in baseball.
Last year, that production was cut short to injury. His .315 batting average was one stat that could point to his excellent performance. He also had the lowest strikeout rate of his career. But that injury is what leads to some concern over Yelich’s upcoming campaign.
Now nearing his mid-30s, are there any question marks over his ability to return from a significant back surgery? Or instead, will health finally give Yelich the opportunity to put together a complete, prolific performance?
Yelich seems confident it will be the latter:
“I think everybody sees ‘back surgery’ and they think, ‘Oh, that’s the end of your career.’ But in my mind, that couldn’t be any farther from the truth,” Yelich said. “I think that it’s going to help me tremendously. I think I’ll feel a lot better than I have in the last few years.”
DL Hall
The lefty Hall was a primary target in the Corbin Burnes trade for a reason. The Brewers think he’s a talented pitcher, but there’s still a lot of ironing out that needs to be done before he becomes a consistent starter.
Last year, Hall’s best performances came out of the bullpen. His role could vary just as much as his performance.
Hall had a 10.7% walk rate and a 22.3% strikeout rate. While Hall has interesting stuff, the free passes outweighed the strikeout production. That high walk rate could be a deciding factor in Hall’s long-term success as a starter.
Hall’s slider and changeup both ranked above 100 in Stuff+, but his fastball was so decidedly below average that it was a liability. His 72 Stuff+ on his heater isn’t going to be a productive asset for a pitcher that struggled with control. Perhaps the most jaw-dropping statistic related to that pitch is that his four-seamer surrendered a batting average of .395.
Garrett Mitchell
It seems strange that Mitchell has played in each of the past three seasons for the Brewers yet hasn’t surpassed 500 plate appearances.
That leaves plenty of doubts about what Mitchell’s ceiling, or his floor, might be.
Mitchell was highly productive last year, putting together a 126 wRC+. He hit .255 with eight home runs and 11 stolen bases across 69 games, which would put him on pace for about 20 homers and 25 steals in a full season.
Mitchell could become a premier power threat if he reaches the peak end of his profile. He has a career barrel rate of 9.5%. But this slugging potential is an uncertainty because of his inconsistent contact.
The left-handed hitter is just 26 years old, but his strikeout rate last season was a poor 31.7%. That’s going to need to drastically change for Mitchell to become a star on this team.
His zone-contact rate was below 80%. It’s not that Mitchell makes poor swing decisions, necessarily. He just didn’t capitalize on the pitches that he did swing at.
There’s such a small sample size with Mitchell that it’s possible he experiences another leap in performance once he plays an entire season — that is, if he can stay healthy for a full season. He doesn’t need to completely cut strikeouts out of his profile, either. Even a slight improvement into the mid-20s in strikeout rate would allow Mitchell to have an impressive season.