MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers showed signs this spring that they’ll bounce back from the slump that engulfed virtually their entire lineup last year.
Of course, they aren't taking anything for granted until they perform when the games matter. They'll get their first chance in Thursday's opener against the Minnesota Twins.
“I feel like I'm in a good place and where I want to be heading into the season," Yelich said. "So I'm excited to get things started.”
after
Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP,
All of them showed signs of progress in the preseason. For instance,
“I think he’s as enthused about starting a season as probably any player I’ve been around,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said.
Plenty of other Brewers who slumped last year performed well this spring.
hit .283 with a .935 OPS.
“Spring training is very different than the regular season,” Stearns said. “But, given some of the performances we had last year, having guys going into the regular season with a really good frame of mind, with confidence, with belief in themselves and each other, I think there’s a degree of importance to it. I know as well as anyone that this can all change in one direction or another after a week.”
Another encouraging preseason performance came from Kolten Wong, the Gold Glove second baseman
The Brewers are encouraged by those spring statistics but also not getting carried away over sample sizes ranging from 30-50 at bats in more relaxed settings.
“I think what’s great from the spring is that we’re healthy,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s what I like about the spring. We’re coming into the season healthy.”
The Brewers believe the additions of Wong and
Whether those hitters can build on the momentum they established in the Cactus League remains uncertain. But it at least should give them some reason for optimism.
“That’s something they can lean on during struggles as much as anything,” Counsell said. “There’s going to be struggles. There’s going to be guys that get off to bad starts. But I think all of our guys are in a good enough place and understanding of where they are right now that it’s going to get you back on track a little quicker.”
NOTES: Stearns said one player received a positive COVID-19 test Wednesday that turned out to be a false positive. Stearns said all the players on the roster re-tested today and that he expects the Brewers to have their full complement of players available Thursday. “It’s a reminder that we’re not really out of the woods yet with this whole COVID thing,” Yelich said. “We need to take it on ourselves to be responsible and take the precautions that we need to." … Counsell said both outfielder Billy McKinney and right-handed reliever J.P. Feyereisen have made the major league roster. The 26-year-old
___
Follow Steve Megargee at https://twitter.com/stevemegargee
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
