Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Brewers

 

The last time the Milwaukee Brewers advanced in the playoffs was 2018. There's only 4 people from that team still on this current iteration of the Brewers, two of them were injured for the majority of the season, and one of them was injured for...less than the other two. You can argue, in many ways, that this 2024 team is better than the one that made the NLCS, and has a brighter future ahead of it...but even with a new manager, new young options at multiple positions, strong defense and an MVP candidate, the Brewers still lost in the first round of the playoffs.

To the Mets.

And hey, up until the Mets, it was a whole running thing that whoever beat the Brewers in the playoffs got to the World Series, so it took the cursed Mets to end that streak. But still, even with another really good team, the Brewers were done far too soon into October. And now they fight to withstand the first round AGAIN next year, if they're even given the opportunity.

Adding a 1st baseman with definite World Series experience didn't even help that much. Rhys Hoskins was an excellent addition as a power bat, as he hit 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. But what made him a liability in Philly was his limits as a defender, as well as the one-dimensional quality of his offense. It was great having Rhys in the clubhouse, and the fans obviously took to him, but there's really only so much he can do right now, as a glorified DH really.

2025 Prediction: Despite this, breaks 30 homers, possibly goes higher.

Joey Ortiz was the big get in the Burnes deal from Baltimore, but there was a lot of promise for D.L. Hall, a longtime Orioles pitching prospect who, true to his name, has consistently struggled to stay healthy. 2024 was no exception, despite being given a rotation spot out of camp. Hall made 4 decent starts, got hurt, made 2 alright starts in August, got hurt, and returned in September as a 'pen piece, given the rotation had no room for him now. 

2025 Prediction: It may be wishful thinking to assumes he stays healthy the whole time, but I think he wins back some goodwill as a starter.

The Brewers were the fourth team in as many seasons for Gary Sanchez, who's just been collecting teams he can be a decent enough C/DH type for at this point. After an improvement behind the plate in 2023, the Brewers, after activating him midyear, wisely decided to use Sanchez primarily as a DH [seeing as they have William Contreras and all]. Sanchez hit .220 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs in 89 games, which is honestly about right for him at this point.

2025 Prediction: Signs somewhere, does his thing, is mildly amusing doing it.

In between injuries to starters, the Brewers got 5 games out of Robert Gasser, one of their prized pitching prospects, this year, and he didn't disappoint. Gasser went 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 16 Ks, exactly what the team was looking for. And then, of course, Gasser gets injured and misses the rest of the season, and possibly some of next season.

2025 Prediction: He's young enough where an injury like this won't affect his quality, so I think he definitely continues where he left off. Might even be a postseason hero for them next year.

After Devin Williams began the year injured, then Abner Uribe bobbled the job and got hurt himself, the closing spot eventually went to Trevor Megill, a journeyman reliever whose brother is currently starting games in Queens. Megill had been waiting to finally find his footing, and he definitely has with Milwaukee. In 48 games he held a 2.72 ERA with a 1.014 WHIP and a crucial 21 saves, making a very nice fill-in for Williams. I assume the Brewers will keep him in mind going forward.

2025 Prediction: Every offseason the Brewers talk about trading Williams, and I don't really think they will, but I do think Megill will get a fuller season in general, even if it doesn't include as many save opportunities.

But ultimately Williams would return off the IL, and when he did there was really no sign of any strain. Devin Williams is still one of the best relievers in the game, and despite only appearing in 22 games this season, he made the most of them, with a 1.25 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 14 saves. This is very similar to how commanding he was in a short time in 2020, which was enough to give him a full Rookie of the Year in that consarned season. It looks like he'll be fine going forward.

2025 Prediction: Chases 40 saves.

Last year, the Rays landing Aaron Civale at the deadline felt like an impressive leveling up. This year, after Civale's muddied numbers in Tampa, the Brewers landing Civale before the deadline felt like, at the very least, a decent idea. Civale is a serviceable enough workhorse at this stage, he just has trouble keeping his ERA low. Still, in 14 starts he went 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA and 65 strikeouts, a pretty solid line after the tumult of his Rays days.

2025 Prediction: I think Civale knows he's a lower-rotation guy for this team, and he's gonna be a steady enough one of those, perhaps getting some important starts as some higher-placed arms get hurt.

And speaking of deadline contrasts, Frankie Montas redeemed himself from his 2022 self by actually remembering to stay healthy for a pennant race. 2024 brought a more rejuvenated, if slightly more selective, Montas, and at the very least he stayed on the active roster all through the fall for Milwaukee. In 11 games, Montas went 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA and 70 Ks. Flashy if a little hollow. But at least he was healthy for more of it than his New York tenure.

2025 Prediction: I think that now Montas knows that he does best in smaller markets, a lot like Sonny Gray, so he's gonna look for a similar fit to that. Maybe Cincinnati again, possibly Minneapolis or Detroit. And it'll go pretty well for him I think. The Mets??? Hoooo boy, that's...that's not gonna go well. Maybe it'll go well in 2026 but this is gonna be another fun adjustment year for Frankie.

Coming Tomorrow- The Cardinals did a lot of things in 2024. 'Learn' was not one of them.