Keys to victory
Refinding Yelich: The ultimate wild card for the Brewers is Christian Yelich. The outfielder and 2018 National League MVP is the one player on the roster who could elevate the entire lineup beyond what is currently projected from it, but can he? His last two seasons have been defined by a power zap (23 homers, .379 slugging percentage) and he is three years removed from his last AllStar level season. The Brewers finished 11th in runs scored and feature an offense filled with high-floor bats, but to get where they want to go, they need more out of Yelich.
After Williams: Devin Williams has the ninth inning on lock, but who will fill in behind him? The bullpen was only middleof-the-pack last year, finishing with the 16th-best ERA in the league. Former Brewer Josh Hader isn’t walking through that door. Matt Bush, Peter Strzelecki and Hoby Milner will need to produce in setup roles for Williams.
How will the rookies produce? The Brewers, as a result of a relatively inactive offseason in which they traded away as many proven bats (Hunter Renfroe, Kolten Wong) as they acquired (William Contreras, Jesse Winker), will likely have to rely on a handful of inexperienced players for key offensive production. Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick will get most of the playing time in center field, and Brice Turang is in the running for the second base job. The good news for the Brewers? Each is a highly regarded prospect and stands to see playing time in the majors at some point this season.