STAR GAZING
5 Brewers are on stage
For the first time in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers are sending five players to the All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
The previous high for all-star representatives for the Brewers was four, accomplished five times, most recently in 2014 when outfielder Carlos Gomez, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and closer Francisco Rodriguez were selected. Since that season, the Brewers have completely rebuilt their roster, resulting in four first-time all-stars.
None of the five Brewers allstars will start the game but the respective managers will try to get as many reserves into the game as possible. Aguilar has the additional honor of participating in the Home Run Derby.
Here is a detailed look at the team’s five representatives, in alphabetical order, and how they came to be named to the National League squad:
1B Jesús Aguilar
All-star experience: First appearance.
How selected: Won fan balloting in “Final Vote” competition.
Key statistic: 24 home runs, most in the NL.
Aguilar merited selection to the NL squad on performance alone with one of the best slugging and run-production showings in the league. Instead, he had to wait for the “Final Vote” results to get the well-deserved honor, which in-
cluded a spot in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. Due to an abundance of first basemen, Aguilar’s spot on the roster was in jeopardy at the end of spring training. But, when Eric Thames was lost for seven weeks with a thumb injury, Aguilar took hold of first base and wouldn’t let go, carrying the offense on his shoulders for long periods. Beyond leading the league in homers, he is first with a .621 slugging percentage and .995 OPS. Aguilar is not an all-or-nothing slugger, as evidenced by his .298 batting average and .373 OBP.
He said it: Aguilar said he didn’t believe in the theory of some that participating in the Home Run Derby might mess up his swing for the second half: “I don’t believe that. I’m just going to hit like in my (daily) BP. Just try to hit it high. I don’t want to change my mechanics. It’s harder than people think. Your arms start to get heavy. So, it’s a little tough but we’re going to try to put on a good show.”
CF Lorenzo Cain
All-star experience: Second appearance.
How selected: Voted as a reserve on the players’ ballot.
Key statistic: 47 walks, second to Travis Shaw’s 48 on the club.
Cain has provided offense, defense and leadership, just as the Brewers expected when they signed him to a fiveyear, $80 million contract as a free agent during the offseason. And, when asked to serve as the leadoff hitter for much of the first half, Cain showed a willingness to change his approach at the plate, taking more pitches. He increased his walk rate dramatically, from 8.4% last season with Kansas City to 13.4% this year. His .393 OBP has been exactly what the team needed, and Cain also has been a factor on the base paths, accumulating 18 steals in 22 attempts. Cain also has been a joy to watch in center field, showing a real knack for chasing down drives in the gaps. Running on him has not been wise, with Cain leading the majors with 10 assists.
He said it: As the only representative with previous all-star experience (2015 with the Royals), Cain has been giving teammates an idea of what to expect from the festivities: “It gets a little crazy; you just have to soak it all in. Everybody wants the chance to play in this game. It’s an experience you want to go through. The whole deal is special. It’s going to be good to share the experience with these guys; it’s going to be awesome.”
LHP Josh Hader
All-star experience: First appearance.
How selected: Voted onto NL pitching staff on the players’ ballot.
Key statistic: 89 strikeouts, most among relievers in the majors.
Hader jumped onto the national radar screen in his first full season in the majors with some incredible strikeout performances in the first two months. The most memorable one came on April 30 in Cincinnati, when he whiffed eight hitters in 22⁄3 innings, most in modern baseball history in fewer than three innings. With an amazing ratio of 16.7 strikeouts per nine innings, Hader made 13 appearances of at least two innings, recording five saves in the process. He was the NL’s reliever of the month for April, when he posted 39 strikeouts in 18 innings. Opponents batted a mere .122 against him in the first half.
He said it: Making his first all-star experience even better, Hader hails from nearby Millersville, Md., and expects many friends and family members to attend: “That’s going to be fun. I got some of my (friends) tickets to Home Run Derby, so we’re going to check that out. If I get in the game, great. If not, the main thing is to have fun and just enjoy the experience. It’s just a big honor to be named and meet the best of the best.”
RHP Jeremy Jeffress
All-star experience: First appearance.
Key statistic: Only 8 of 33 inherited runners scored.
How selected: Names as injury replacement for Washington reliever Sean Doolittle.
Despite having one of the best seasons of any reliever in the majors, Jeffress was in danger of being left off the team until Doolittle withdrew with a foot injury. It would have been a tough break for the 30-year-old right-hander, who had by far the best first half of his career. Jeffress had a little slippage in recent weeks but it’s impossible to pitch at the level he was at without an occasional misstep. He is 6-1 with a 1.34 ERA, with only 29 hits and 13 walks allowed in 47 innings. Jeffress was often placed in very difficult jams by manager Craig Counsell, escaping them sometimes in remarkable fashion. He was unscored upon in 40 of 46 appearances and was the Brewers’ pitcher of the month in May (0.60 ERA in 13 games).
He said it: Bitterly disappointed when originally left off the NL staff, Jeffress was over the moon when told he’d replace Doolittle: “It has seemed like a dream. I’m trying to stay calm. I still have people calling and texting me. Once it gets here, there won’t be any way to stay calm. I’m just going to try to enjoy the moment. This is what you dream of.”
OF Christian Yelich
All-star experience: First appearance.
Key statistic: 60 runs scored, tops on club and 7th in NL.
How selected: Voted as a reserve on the players’ ballot.
The Brewers considered it a rare opportunity to acquire a budding young star in his prime when they acquired Yelich in a January trade with Miami. They have five years of contractual control, and the early returns have been encouraging. Yelich batted .292 in 82 games with a .364 OBP and .823 OPS. He is tied with Aguilar for the club lead with 83 strikeouts, which is a bit high, but also has drawn 33 walks to go with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 43 RBI. Yelich was named the Brewers’ player of the month for May, when he batted .330 in 27 games with five home runs and 17 RBI. He has swiped 12 bases in 14 attempts while running the bases with great skill and technique. Yelich spent 11 days on the disabled list in April with an oblique strain.
He said it: Yelich is hoping he gets to see action in the game but is prepared for anything: “I haven’t worried about that. Obviously, I’d like to get in there. But if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. I’m just looking forward to the whole experience in general. I have a few family members coming; they’re all looking forward to it, too. It’s cool that five of us are going.”