So, to recap. At the MLB level right now, the Milwaukee Brewers currently have, up and thriving, Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, Shane Drohan and Logan Henderson. And then waiting in the minors, they have Jett Williams, Jesus Madé, Jeferson Quero, Luis Pena and Luis Lara. And remember, right now, with all those great players still waiting, they are a 1st place team with one of the best records in baseball and the second-most wins of anyone. For a rebuilding team, they could not be doing better.
And again, last year when people kept referring to the Brewers as a 'rebuilding team', despite the fact that they'd just made the NLCS and were expected to compete again, I had faith they'd be doing something like this. The signs were there. Obviously flipping Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins for prospects was a cost-saving measure that was meant to lower the payroll, but the windfall they got in return was enough to keep them competitive. They got David Hamilton, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Angel Zerpa for those guys, and those have been very crucial organizational pieces this year. So I fully predicted they'd be a league power this year, and of course they are.
It was mostly the marquee guy above that pointed me towards that. Jackson Chourio is 22, a 3-year vet, and already one of the most reliable hitters in Milwaukee. Even with a month removed, he's still a serious piece of this team, hitting .291 with an .863 OPS, 11 homers and 31 RBIs. In just 48 games. If there was any justice, Chourio would be an all-star this year. I'm not sure if it's going to happen, though someone will need to replace Acuña if he makes it on, and it might have to be him. This guy feels way older than 22, and hits like a season veteran even this early on. He's great in the outfield, he's great hitting for contact, he's a great power bat, his base stealing is down a little from last year but he's still capable. I know Yelich still exists, between injuries, but Chourio is the kind of guy a team can be based around, and he really does offer a lot of hope to this team, who got so close last year but were trounced by LA.
Chourio, Turang, Contreras, Bauers and Vaughn make up a truly powerful core, and Cooper Pratt is juuust figuring things out as well, with 8 hits and 2 RBIs in 13 at-bats. You're also seeing production from Shane Drohan, who's being handed more starts and has made the most of his last few opportunities. Harrison's getting his ERA back down after Vegas, Sproat's trying to balance things out, Miz is still killing it, and Woodruff's been working a clinic as well. I do worry a bit about the number of pitching prospects the Brewers have tried this year that haven't especially worked [Craig Yoho, Coleman Crow, Carlos Rodriguez, Brian Fitzpatrick], but...with everything that has worked, and with how young most of them are, it's likely not worth it.
I sincerely hope the Brewers can keep this up and hopefully be a match for the Dodgers and other monoliths in the playoffs. Chourio I still get a very good vibe from, much like the rest of this team, and they seem to be after something this year in particular.
Coming Tonight: The Mariners searched for a homegrown ace after Felix Hernandez left. It did not take long for one to show up, but it took a bit for him to fully embrace ace status.