StaTuesday: Evaluating the Brewers' spring training statistically
It's been a pretty good spring thus far for the Milwaukee Brewers, who are in the midst of arguably the biggest rebuilding project in team history.
The team was 12-11 in Cactus League play through Sunday. It has three games remaining in Arizona after Monday's game against the Reds, which it lost 9-8.
So just exactly who has impressed so far in spring training? Well, statistics definitely don't tell the whole story, as teams often trot out their lesser-known players in spring training, but here's at least a partial answer to who has played well this spring.
First off, a look at the Brewers on a macro level. The team was hitting .271 in its 25 games through Sunday, ranking them 17th among major-league teams. They've also clubbed 26 home runs. Those stats have to be somewhat encouraging for a team that hit .251 last season and averaged less than one home run a game.
The Brewers' pitching has left more to be desired. Milwaukee's staff has a 5.02 ERA this spring, allowing opposing hitters to bat .275. Again, spring-training stats are not necessarily indicative of regular-season outcomes, but these numbers are not great.
So how have the individual players done? Again, it's a small sample size, but a few of the projected starters have done quite well while others have struggled. There isn't a whole lot of middle ground.
Lucroy, for example, has a solid on-base percentage in a decent number of at-bats. The Brewers' infield has struggled, however. Villar's 15 strikeouts in 46 at-bats have to be somewhat concerning.
Here's a look at the starting rotation:
The numbers show the rotation struggled some this spring, especially with control. Nelson had a nice ERA through 10 innings, however.
This will most certainly be a rebuilding season for the young Brewers. Spring training has shown that they have some promise, but there is still a long way to go.
