Brewers buzzing over 102 mph laser

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MILWAUKEE -- Joey Wiemer didn’t need a radar gun to know Brian Anderson's laser beam from right field to third base in the 11th inning of Tuesday’s win in Seattle was one of the Brewers’ strongest throws of the Statcast era.

“The eye-dar says it’s true,” Wiemer said. “That guy has a freaking missile attached to his right shoulder.”

Teammates were buzzing after getting a reading on Anderson’s 101.9 mph hose -- the hardest throw by a Brewers outfielder not named Brett Phillips since tracking began in 2015. Phillips still owns the three hardest throws by a Milwaukee outfielder in this era, all in 2017: 104.7 mph, 104.0 mph and 102.6 mph.

Anderson’s throw was the fifth-hardest recorded by Statcast over the past two seasons. Kansas City Nate Eaton’s 103.3 mph throw last August tops that list.

Now you can add Anderson alongside Phillips as the only Brewers outfielders who have topped 100 mph on a throw, and Anderson doesn’t think anyone should be surprised.

“I don’t think it’s unheard of for me to do that,” he said. “That’s on you guys. I’ve always had a pretty good arm.”

Indeed, Anderson ranked sixth among players from all positions on Statcast’s arm strength leaderboard from 2020-22, averaging 95.9 mph on qualifying throws (the average of the top five percent of throws on the infield and the average of the top 10 percent of throws in the outfield).

“I would rather be accurate than anything,” Anderson said. “In that case, it was OK for me to go all the way to third on it, but my focus needs to be throwing it through the cutoff man, that way those guys can cut it if they need to. That’s something I’ve always worked on.”

With Garrett Mitchell down with a shoulder injury, the Brewers will continue to run Anderson and Wiemer to the outfield as two of baseball’s strongest arms. Wiemer’s top reading is 104.7 mph, but that was during a drill in the Minor Leagues during which players were encouraged to air it out.

“Great way to make your arm hurt,” Wiemer said. “But to be honest, I never really fully load up in the outfield because I’m a quick release guy. I’m a firm believer that saving a second on the transfer is quicker. When I get to a ball, I put myself in position to just flick it and go.”

Rookie second baseman Brice Turang chimes in: “Like the relay in Arizona.”

That was earlier on the road trip, April 12 at Chase Field, when Wiemer corralled a ball in the right field corner and quickly got it to Turang, who relayed home for an out at the plate.

“I could throw it harder every time,” Wiemer said. “But I firmly believe that quicker is better.”

Ditto for Anderson.

“In the outfield, I don’t cover the most ground, I’m not the fastest guy,” Anderson said. “I need to be able to get the ball and get it in quick and get it where it needs to go. Outfield is a way I’m trying to increase my value as a player.”