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2024 MLB Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

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2024 MLB Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers


The Brewers coasted to an NL Central crown in 2023 and were again projected as favorites in the division at the start of the offseason. With a core of veteran difference-makers and exciting young players and weakness from others in the division, it was exactly the type of forecast you would expect to spur the front office to bolster the team’s chances of success in 2024. However, this winter had been full of nothing but mixed signals as to the team’s priorities this season and beyond.

Milwaukee Brewers
2023 record: 92-70 (1st, NL Central; lost in NLWCS)
2024 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (3rd, NL Central)

When the Brewers inaugurated their offseason by signing Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million deal, it felt like precisely the type of veteran reinforcement that a team looking to improve on the previous year’s finish would make. Despite missing 2023 with a torn ACL, he had been a top-ten slugging first baseman since his debut in 2017 and projected to approach that production in 2024.

But then just six days later, Milwaukee traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for DL Hall, Joey Ortiz, and the 34th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Nothing says “mixed signals” like making a significant signing only to trade away your ace and 2021 NL Cy Young winner in the span of a week. Sure, Hall and Ortiz could play substantial roles for the big league club this year, but it almost certainly will not come close to replacing the roughly four-and-a-half wins Burnes is expected to produce now for Baltimore.

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It’s been quite a precipitous fall for arguably the best starting rotation in baseball across the last three seasons. Not only do they lose a top-five starter in Burnes, they also will be without Brandon Woodruff for most if not all of the season. They brought him back on a two-year rehab deal, the 31-year-old expected to use 2024 to recover from surgery to repair a torn shoulder capsule. This leaves Freddy Peralta as the projected Opening Day starter — by no means a weak candidate for that distinction. He’s been a top-30 starter over the last three seasons by ERA (3.35) and fWAR (9.0) and projects to do the same in 2024, ZiPS predicting a 3.86 ERA and 2.8 fWAR across 28 starts totaling 151.2 innings.

Things look pretty bleak behind him in the rotation, with Hall only projected for 110 big league innings and guys like Wade Miley, Jacob Junis, Colin Rea, and Robert Gasser projected for worse-than-fifth-starter value and with ERAs in the mid-fours. At least they can rely on a strong bullpen much as they have in recent seasons. Even though Josh Hader is long gone, Devin Williams is a more than able candidate to take his place as the team’s closer. He has accrued the most value of any reliever since his breakout in 2020 and again projects as a top-15 bullpen arm by ERA (3.00) and FIP (3.41). He heads a deep relief unit that Depth Charts projects as the third-best by ERA (3.99) and fourth-best by FIP (4.17) and fWAR (4.0).

Turning our attention to the offense, all eyes are on uber-prospect Jackson Chourio. The 20-year-old signed as a teenager out of Venezuela for $1.8 million in 2021 is now a consensus top-three prospect in baseball and has a serious case as an Opening Day starter. He is seen as a legitimate 30-30 threat in the future, though ZiPS does not believe that impact will be instant, projecting him for 17 home runs, 35 stolen bases, a 92 wRC+, and 2.0 fWAR across 612 plate appearances while capping his 80th percentile ceiling at a 114 wRC+ and a hair over three wins.

It must be noted that Chourio will have an intriguing cast of under-the-radar talent around him. William Contreras moved to the Brewers as part of the three-team swap that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves and Esteury Ruiz to the A’s and almost immediately established himself as one of the best catchers in the game, leading all backstops with 5.4 fWAR and placing seventh in wRC+ (124). Interestingly, ZiPS does not believe he can replicate that performance, projecting him to regress by two wins as his offense and defense take a step back. It’s still enough to place among the top five catchers in 2024, though it is perhaps telling that ZiPS’ 80th percentile projection still has him falling almost a full win short of his marvelous 2023 campaign.

I’m not sure anyone could have predicted the leap in ability Willy Adames made upon his swap from the Rays to Milwaukee, the shortstop grading as the seventh-best player at the position by fWAR (11.4) since the day of his trade. ZiPS is confident in the changes he’s made to his game — he’s been the second-best defensive shortstop in the game over the last two years by Outs Above Average (+26) — and projects him for another top-ten finish among qualified shortstops with 4.1 fWAR. Christian Yelich also experienced something of a mid-career renaissance, finishing with his best season (122 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR) since he put up almost 15 wins and won the NL MVP in his first two years with the club. However, ZiPS is less certain that he can maintain this newly-rediscovered production, going as far as to slash his fWAR in half in their projection of his 2024 campaign.

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Even in an offseason that saw the team lose their ace, perhaps the biggest blow to the organization came on the non-player side of operations. They saw longtime team president David Stearns jump ship to head the Mets before watching manager Craig Counsell poached by the rival Cubs. In the span of a little over a month, the Brewers lost the architect of many of their overachieving rosters as well as the skipper who managed to extract those top-percentile outcomes to drive such success. How the franchise will fare without the pair of guiding hands that made them perennial division contenders remains one of the intriguing mysteries as the season approaches.


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Milwaukee, WI

Community members rally to preserve Milwaukee Public Museum exhibits

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Community members rally to preserve Milwaukee Public Museum exhibits


MILWAUKEE — Ten-year-old Alma Steele, a longtime visitor of the Milwaukee Public Museum, joined a group of supporters Saturday to protest plans for the museum’s relocation.

“We used to go every Saturday morning. My favorite is the butterfly exhibit,” Steele smiled.

This Saturday’s visit was different; she was there to voice her support for keeping the museum in its current building at 800 W. Wells St.

Alma was among more than a dozen individuals expressing their love for the museum and its exhibits, like the Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village.

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The group is called Preserve Milwaukee, and it aims to advocate for the preservation of beloved exhibits and the character of the current building.

“A lot of these exhibits and displays are endearing to us. These are works of art and should not be destroyed,” Scott Bush, a member of the Board of Directors for the group, said.

The group formed in response to news that the museum is planning to move to a new location, slated to open in 2027, at West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street.

“They can build a new museum; it’s a good thing, but we don’t have to destroy this one,” Justin Gaver, another board member, said.

Some exhibits, particularly those integral to the museum’s structure, cannot be relocated to the new site, according to a post on X by the museum.

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Rebecca Ehlers, Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Visitor Experience for the Milwaukee Public Museum stressed that the current building is roughly $100 million behind on maintenance, which poses a risk to the four million artifacts housed within.

“The building we have is not sustainable for the future,” she said. “All of the items that are the heart will come with us.”

TMJ4 reported in 2022 that there were cracks in the ceiling and walls, along with interior gutters and hanging buckets to catch leaking water.

As construction is underway at the new site, the fate of the current museum will ultimately be decided by Milwaukee County.

Preserve Milwaukee’s members said they will continue working on their campaign to save the building.

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Milwaukee, WI

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Advocates for Kamala Harris’s Economic Vision at Milwaukee Event – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

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Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Advocates for Kamala Harris’s Economic Vision at Milwaukee Event – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper


Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff (Photo/Karen Stokes)

By Karen Stokes

An Economic Opportunity Event featuring Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff took place on Tuesday at Diamond Discs International located on Milwaukee’s northwest side.

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The Second Gentleman began his speech by addressing the escalating situation in Israel and the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the southern states of North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. He noted that governors in the affected states have indicated that the administration is working hand in hand with them to ensure they have the necessary resources. He emphasized that the President and Vice President are dedicated to supporting these communities well beyond the immediate emergency response phase.

“Everywhere we go, it’s the same thing. People are ready for Kamala to be president of the United States. They’re ready for somebody who understands them, somebody who understands the economy, somebody who actually cares about you and brings real solutions to the table,” Emhoff said.

“She’s taking the fight directly to Donald Trump right to his face. It’s no surprise he’s ducking a second debate because she kicked his ass at the first debate because we need a president whose toughness is actually real — not just this reality TV fake tough guy routine.”

“Kamala Harris is a capitalist,” Emhoff said. “She’s pro-growth, she’s pro-innovation, pro-technology, she’s pro-business but also supports workers. All these things can work at the same time.”

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Even though Kamala Harris’ economic plan does overlap with aspects of Bidenomics, there are also key differences.

Emhoff highlighted Harris’ economic plan as having three tiers.

“First, she aims to lower costs, providing over $100 million in tax cuts. This includes a $6,000 child tax credit for the first year of a child’s life, crucial for families just starting out.

She has a plan to combat price gouging, balancing support for businesses with accountability. Her proposal extends insulin price caps for seniors to all Americans and includes a plan for affordable housing, targeting the construction of three million new homes and offering $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.”

“The second pillar focuses on investing in innovation and entrepreneurship, with a goal of creating 25 million new businesses in her first term. She plans to allocate one-third of contract dollars to small businesses. The third pillar emphasizes ensuring that America leads in future industries,” he said.

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“More than 90 CEOs have endorsed Kamala. Mark Cuban has made a great case for why Kamala is the right choice for the economy. She’s going to create an economy that works for all of us, it’s forward looking, and it’s going to invest in technology, and innovation. She also knows we have to come together,” Emhoff said. “She knows we have so much more in common than what divides us. This is the most important election of our lifetime. Every single vote is going to matter here in Wisconsin.”

Emhoff referenced Michelle Obama’s quote about the importance of voting in such large numbers that it leaves no doubt and counters any attempts at suppression. “We need to win, and we need to win big,” he stated.

Harris will be in Wisconsin, a critical swing state on Thursday in the Fox Valley.





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History Suggests Mets Are World Series-Bound After Beating Brewers

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History Suggests Mets Are World Series-Bound After Beating Brewers


The Milwaukee Brewers may have been eliminated from the playoffs this week, but their presence in the postseason still looms large.

Thanks to Pete Alonso’s historic, clutch home run in the ninth inning on Thursday night, the New York Mets emerged victorious in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series. That sent the Brewers packing, while the Mets got to punch their ticket to the NLDS.

And if past results are any indication, New York could wind up going much, much further.

As pointed out by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, every team that has beat the Brewers in the postseason has gone on to – at the very least – win a pennant. Six of the eight teams to do so have finished October as World Series champions.

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The Brewers, who played their inaugural season in 1970, made the playoffs for the first time in 1981. They lost to the New York Yankees in the ALDS, setting the Bronx Bombers on the path to their 33rd AL pennant.

The very next year, Milwaukee made it to the World Series themselves, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Following a 25-year postseason drought, the Brewers got knocked out by the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 NLDS. They reached the NLCS in 2011, only to come face-to-face with the Cardinals, who went on to win the Fall Classic as well.

The 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Brewers in the NLCS, then lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, but the 2019 Washington Nationals, 2020 Dodgers and 2021 Atlanta Braves all went through Milwaukee on their way to a title. The 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, although they didn’t win the World Series, also defeated the Brewers en route to an NL pennant.

The Brewers’ postseason opponents have created a pattern – one team will eliminate them, then lose in the World Series, while the next three teams to eliminate them will win the World Series. Since the D-Backs lost in the World Series in 2023, that means the Mets should win it all in 2024, per this purely coincidental pattern.

In order to do so, New York will have to make it past the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Game 1 of that best-of-five series is scheduled to get underway at 4:08 p.m. ET.

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.

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