If you want to call this a season preview of the Milwaukee Brewers, be my guest. The Brewers embark on a season where the hype has never been bigger. I said this on a podcast awhile back saying the Brewers are going to be so hyped up by the city because expectations are not only at an all-time high, they feel realistic. After 2011, it was done. Prince Fielder left for Detroit, St. Louis won the World Series the year prior and the Brewers didn’t have the young core to compete at the same level. After 2018, the entire team basically comes back and the Brewers are poised to make another postseason run. Here are some mild predictions for the season.

1. Christian Yelich will have a good year, not an MVP year – I don’t think regression will be a thing for Yelich, rather, he will have a solid year that results in an All-Star Game starter spot and considered an MVP candidate. That said, baseball is a very unlikely sport to go back-to-back as an MVP. He is good enough and talented enough to do it yet I wouldn’t be surprised if someone on his own team outperforms him. That says more about how good the Brewers offense is this season.

2. Junior Guerra is going to be a bullpen stud – I’m not going to say I think he will be the closer of this team, rather, I believe Guerra will be really fucking good out of the pen. He was a perfect one or two inning guy, and my confidence is high on him to start the year. I’m buying Guerra stock and think he could be a vital cog to this bullpen especially with the injuries early on in the season.

3. Brewers will win less games than last year – It’s not because I think they’re going to lose the NL Central. The amount of good teams there are in the National League Central lead me to believe that the Brewers finish with 90 to 92 wins. I have them winning the division (Predictions to come!), but it will be fight with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

4. Yasmani Grandal will have a breakout year – People forget how Dodger Stadium is a pitcher’s park. Grandal launched bombs into a pitcher’s park regularly, and now, he will get to hit at Miller Park 81 games this year. I have a feeling you’re going to see a huge year from him when it comes to power and big hits. Don’t be surprised if he moved up in the order.

5. Jesus Aguilar might end up with the most Brewers criticism – Brewers Twitter always seems to have enemy number one, and while Zeus is beloved, there are many nonbelievers that he can do it again this season. Metrics would tell you that, in fact, he is among the best first baseman in baseball from a hitting perspective. I just wonder how many fans will give him the benefit of the doubt.

6. MFK the young Brewers starting rotation – If I had to ‘marry, fuck, kill’ the three young pitchers from ‘Great, inconsistent and horrible’ here’s how I think it will end up… Peralta, Woodruff, Burnes. This is actually a tough question and would love to see someone pick it up. My concerns with Woodruff and Burnes are simple. We haven’t seen them as starters for their Major League career. There is a level of uncertainty with both guys. I do believe they need four to five starts before we form any sort of take.

7. Keep your hot takes holstered until mid-May, please – Listen, let’s all agree to not hand out hot takes like we’re an aggressive salesperson, okay? Baseball takes time. The season usually does not get lost in the first six weeks of the year. Brewers start off slow, there is time to get hot. Brewers start off fast, they’re not winning 120 games. Let’s all be steady and calm. I say this even though I know it’s not going to happen because Brewers fans can be on par with Packers fans from an annoyance standpoint.

8. Ryan Braun’s return to prominence – You know how people every golf season (Me included) think this is the year for Tiger Woods to breakthrough for a major? This is usually how I feel for Ryan Braun and hope he becomes an All-Star again. Ryan Braun forever.

9. Predictions – NL: Washington, Milwaukee, Colorado: WC: Los Angeles, St. Louis. AL: Boston, Minnesota, Houston. WC: New York, Tampa Bay. World Series: Boston vs. Washington – Red Sox go back to back. Surprise teams: Minnesota & San Diego. Regression teams: Chicago Cubs and Oakland.

Charlie.