Milwaukee Brewers 2008 Midseason Report Card

The Brew Crew fight for respect and gold in the NL Central & MLB at large.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Season So Far
With a bevy of offensive talent and a deep bullpen, the Milwaukee Brewers were picked to improve on their previous 83-79 record as their young talent matured. The Milwaukee Brewers have delivered on the early hype pretty well, buffaloing the weaker teams in the NL Central, as well as dealing defeats to the powerful Chicago Cubs. With a pair of aces in their deck and seven certified sluggers in their batting order, the Milwaukee Brewers are ready to make a run at the NL Central title.

Milwaukee Brewers: Midseason Moves
The Milwaukee Brewers scored the top midseason acquisition in the 2008 MLB season by trading for ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians. The move meant that the Milwaukee Brewers would give up young talent, including OF Matt LaPorta to give themselves the best chance to win now, rather than in the future. Time will tell if the Milwaukee Brewers’ gamble on C.C. Sabathia will be a boom or a bust, but the move gives the Milwaukee Brewers a fiery pair of weapons in their bullpen.

Milwaukee Brewers: Offense
First baseman Prince Fielder is young and one of the best hitters in the MLB. Prince fielder has a bat that netted 50 homers in the 2007 MLB season and so far has gotten him 18 in the 2008 season. In addition to the long ball, Prince Fielder is also a key player in driving in RBIs. The second monster hitter in the Milwaukee Brewers lineup is LF Ryan Braun. Not only has Ryan Braun knocked 23 homers out of the park, but he also leads the Milwaukee Brewers in hits and RBIs.

Outside of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, the hits keep coming from the Milwaukee Brewers. RF Corey Hart is second on the Milwaukee Brewers in hits and RBIs. Corey Hart has also hit 15 homers and is another complete batter. CF Mike Cameron and SS J.J. Hardy also have homerun numbers in the teens. 3B Russell Branyan and 2B Bill Hall each have double-digit homerun numbers and rotate in against pitchers depending on their pitching arm. The huge collection of talent makes the Milwaukee Brewers fourth in the MLB in homeruns.

Milwaukee Brewers: Defense
Pitcher Ben Sheets is a true ace righty. Going for a fourth time to the All-Star Game, Ben Sheets is possibly the best starter in all of baseball. Even with a blazing fastball, the true weapons in Ben Sheets’ arsenal are his changeup and his dreaded curveball. Ben Sheets is joined by new acquisition C.C. Sabathia. A massive lefty, C.C. Sabathia is a second true ace, three-time All-Star and a former Cy Young Winner. CC Sabathia leads the MLB in strikeouts, thanks to a devastating slider and a skilled curveball. The pair of aces will team with the potent offense to make a fantastic combination.

Closer Salomon Torres will finish what C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets start and has a fantastic 2.74 ERA. Longtime Milwaukee Brewers closer Eric Gagne moves to a relief role and should be incredibly effective. Rookie SP Manny Parra is off to a good start with an 8-2 record and will not only be a big factor in this season, but in the 2009 MLB season as well. SPs Dave Bush and Seth McClung will platoon at the No. 5 spot in the rotation, depending on the opponent and location of the game. The talented bullpen matches up with the Milwaukee Brewers offense perfectly.

Milwaukee Brewers: Standings
In the elite NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers are in the hunt for the title. The Milwaukee Brewers are locked in a tight struggle with perennial champs the St. Louis Cardinals. However, the target at the top of the list is the Chicago Cubs. With only a few games separating the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs, every game after the All-Star break will be key. The Cincinnati Reds have a little fight left, but the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros are nearly out of the hunt already. The Milwaukee Brewers vs. the Chicago Cubs will be the marquee match up in baseball in the 2008 MLB season.

Milwaukee Brewers: Outlook
The Milwaukee Brewers have a real chance at the World Series. The tandem of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets will be the catalyst to launch the Milwaukee Brewers postseason hopes. If the pitching staff can come together, the Milwaukee Brewers bats will do their part by destroying teams with the long ball. They may not be household names likes the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, but the Milwaukee Brewers have one of the best chances to win it all in 2008.