Yelich, Counsell are up for awards
Missing the final 21⁄2 weeks of the 2019 season with a broken kneecap didn't cost Christian Yelich a chance to repeat as the National League's most valuable player.
The Milwaukee Brewers' star rightfielder was revealed Monday night as one of three finalists for the NL MVP award from the Baseball Writers Association of America. The others were Los Angeles' Cody Bellinger, who many consider the favorite, and Washington's Anthony Rendon.
The BBWAA voting for every award was done at the end of the regular season, with 30 ballots cast in each league. The "finalists" are the top three votegetters in each category, with the winners already determined but not announced until next week.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell also was named as one of the three finalists for NL manager of the year, in recognition of the job he did in leading his team's late surge to a second consecutive playoff berth.
Despite being limited to 130 games by that broken kneecap, as well as some back issues earlier, Yelich won his second NL batting title in a row with a .329 average, and also topped the circuit with a .429 on-base percentage, .671 slugging percentage and 1.100 OPS. He hit a career-high 44 homers, drove in 97 runs, scored 100 runs and 30 bases, becoming the first 40/30 (homers, steals) player in the majors since teammate Ryan Braun in 2012.
On the MLB Network show announcing the awards finalists, Yelich was asked in a telephone interview if he thought he improved from his 2018 MVP season and he said, "Yeah, I do."
Yelich pointed to his major-league best OPS, up from 1.000 the previous season, as a major indicator of improving as a player.
"All of us set a goal every season of trying to get better in every aspect of your game," Yelich said. "That's why we play; that should be what drives you. That was definitely a goal of mine entering the season."
Despite slipping somewhat in the second half, Bellinger finished with a 1.035 OPS in 156 games, leading the league with 351 total bases and 9.0 WAR. He batted .305 with 46 homers, 115 RBI and .406 OBP.
Rendon led the NL with 126 RBI as well as 44 doubles, batting .319 with 34 home runs, 117 runs scored, .412 OBP and 1.010 OPS.
All three finalists were instrumental in getting their teams to the postseason. The NL MVP will be revealed on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Counsell finished second for the NL manager of the year award in 2018 to Atlanta's Brian Snitker, whose team had the biggest jump in victories and claimed the NL East title with a 90-72 record. The Brewers finished with the best record in the league (96-67) after a 20-7 surge that September that concluded with a Game No. 163 victory in Chicago for the NL Central crown.
Snitker again is a finalist for the award after leading the Braves to another division crown this year. The third finalist is St. Louis' Mike Shildt, who guided his team from a .500 record at the all-star break to the NL Central title, holding off the hard-charging Brewers.
Once again in 2019, Counsell proved to be a master of manipulating the expanded rosters teams have in September, in particular utilizing the increased number of arms in the bullpen. He didn't hesitate to pull pitchers in the fourth or fifth innings if he felt it was the best chance of winning that night's game.
Counsell also kept his team focused after Yelich was lost to a broken kneecap on Sept. 10 in Miami.
Many thought that ended the Brewers' playoff chances but they continued to surge, going 18-2 over a three-week stretch to come from five games behind the Cubs to claim the second wild-card spot and assure consecutive playoff berths for only the second time in franchise history.
The Brewers again went 20-7 in September despite getting swept in the season-ending, three-game series in Colorado. On the MLB Network show, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci named Counsell as his favorite.
The winners of manager of the year awards in both leagues will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
The finalists for other NL awards are New York's Pete Alonso, the overwhelming favorite, Atlanta's Mike Soroka and San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr., for rookie of the year; and New York's Jacob deGrom, the 2019 winner, Los Angeles' Hyun-Jin Ryu and Washington's Max Scherzer for the Cy Young Award.
Of possible internal options at first base, Stearns said, "The nice thing about first base is that generally, and more today than ever, it is a position that other people can play. Other positional players can play.
"We have other players on our team who have played it before; Ryan Braun has played it before. I wouldn't necessarily say we're leaning one way, internally or externally, but we do have players on our roster who have experience at that position."
Thames began the season as the backup to Jesús Aguilar, who fell into a massive slump and eventually was traded to Tampa Bay. Thames played three seasons for the Brewers after returning from three years in South Korea to sign a three-year, $16 million deal.
In 383 games with the Brewers, Thames batted .241 with a .343 OBP and .504 slugging percentage, with 72 homers and 161 RBI. He slugged 31 homers in 2017 but lost the first base job to Aguilar during the 2018 season after missing six weeks with a thumb injury.
With Thames now joining Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas on the free-agent market, the Brewers have openings at first base, third base and catcher. As for filling those spots, Stearns said, "I think we're going to wait to see what opportunities the off-season provides us.
"If some of our players who currently are free agents don't return, we're going to have to fill that value either at those positions or elsewhere. We've got room on our roster, both on our 40-man roster and projected 25-man roster, and we're just at the beginning of free agency, so that's a good place to be."
The Brewers also announced pitchers Corey Knebel (Tommy John surgery) and Bobby Wahl (torn ACL) were reinstated from the 60-day injured list to the 40-man roster.