Three Brewers who can be Gamechangers in September
The homestretch of the 2023 MLB season is here. With 12 divisional matchups remaining, including three against the second-place Cubs, every moment is a chance to solidify postseason hopes.
With the Brewers in the heat of pennant race, they¡¯re looking for some big performances in the month of September. Here are three potential x-factors heading into the Crew¡¯s final few weeks of regular season baseball.
Willy Adames
It¡¯s simple: when Willy Adames is on a tear, the Brewers are winning, and winning a lot.
Over the course of the Crew¡¯s recent nine-game winning streak (a season high), one of the most important developments was Adames looking like the player who rose to stardom in 2021. During that stretch, he slashed a scalding .405/.463/.676 with three homers.
Willy has built a reputation for clutch hitting during his tenure in Milwaukee, as he put up monster numbers in high leverage situations during his first two seasons as a Brewer ¨C including a 178 wRC+ in the clutch. However, Willy Adames has put up a wRC+ of just 51 in high leverage at-bats in 2023.
With the biggest moments of the season coming up, there should be plenty of opportunities for Willy to get his clutch numbers back on track. Luckily, a strong stretch in recent games is proof that Adames can still be a force in September.
Trevor Megill
With a 162-game season coming down to the homestretch, there is no such thing as too many impact arms in the bullpen.
The trio of Devin Williams, Joel Payamps and Hoby Milner have dominated all season. Abner Uribe burst onto the scene with his electric fastball-slider combo. And now, Trevor Megill is flashing some of the best stuff in the Brewers bullpen as a guy who¡¯s starting to eat some crucial innings.
Megill threw 7.1 innings in August, surrendering zero earned runs and racking up 15.95 strikeouts per nine innings. The reliever was so impressive that his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) was negative in August ¨C FIP is measured on a similar scale to ERA but only accounts for a pitcher¡¯s strikeouts, walks, and home runs allowed. With fielding out of the equation, it¡¯s a testament to how dominant Megill¡¯s month was.
The 100-mph-plus stuff has always been there for Megill. Now he¡¯s putting it all together, and he could be a crucial complementary piece of the Brewers bullpen in the final weeks.
Rowdy Tellez
After mashing 35 home runs last season, Rowdy¡¯s hasn¡¯t been able to replicate those numbers throughout the 2023 campaign.
Tellez struggled mightily through the first-half then suffered an unfortunate finger injury as he collided with the wall in Cincinnati in July. Healthy again, the slugger is a prime candidate for an impactful September.
It didn¡¯t take long for Rowdy to show just how significant his bat can be when at his best. In a 7-3 win over the Padres on August 25, Tellez was the catalyst behind a five-run inning, leading the charge and powering the Crew to victory with a three-run shot off Yu Darvish.
Having that version of Rowdy Tellez in the middle of the order is a gamechanger. Last season¡¯s Brewers home run leader has shown off his ability to be a formidable clean-up hitter. A healthy and right Rowdy Tellez would be instrumental in a strong September.