2015 Spotlight: Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers head into 2015 with a roster in transition. While some of their older stars are on their way out (third baseman Aramis Ramirez), a new wave of youthful faces are making their mark on the NL Central. These young stars, headlined by all-star catcher Jonathan Lucroy, will be tasked with finding consistency in their production.

How far will the Brewers slid in 2015?

Their rotation, fronted by Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza, will need to increase their workload, as their bullpen is iffy beyond the closer and set-up roles. Francisco Rodriguez returns to his duties in the ninth inning, and Jonathan Broxton will set the table for him, but nobody stands out beyond that. The team’s success lies in the top of their lineup consisting of center fielder Carlos Gomez, Lucroy and right fielder Ryan Braun. If they can produce the runs they are capable of, and the rotation can pitch deep into games, then the team could make a strong push. The issue is that this team seemed to fall apart at the seams as 2014 wore on. Who’s to say that it won’t be more of the same this year?

Who to watch: Lucroy not only made a name for himself in Milwaukee, but the star-catcher accumulated more WAR than anybody in the league. His breakout 2014 campaign earned him fourth place in MVP voting and indicated that he is one of the most vital players in the game. 

Jonathan "Sweet Heart" Lucroy

His strong offensive numbers should carry over into this season, as should his notorious pitch-framing abilities. If the team can find a way to keep his legs fresh throughout the season, look for him to lead the team in most offensive categories. He and Gomez could combine for 40 home runs and 175 RBI.

Sleeper: The Brew Crew traded away veteran starter Yovani Gallardo in order to make room for top-prospect Jimmy Nelson. The young right-hander started 12 games at the major league level last season, and the team is hoping regular playing time will benefit the young hurler. 

Nelson has his eyes on a big season.

If he can improve his command while pitching deep into games, Nelson could become a strong force in their rotation for years to come. At age 25, he has had more than enough seasoning in the minors, so this could be the season he ties it all together.

Bust: Aramis Ramirez has had a great career and is known to be a phenomenal clubhouse presence. The only reason I would call him a bust this year is the fact that the team stated they will look to rest him at least two times per week in order to keep him off the disabled list in his final season before retirement. 

Ramirez announced that 2015 will be his final season.

While he may still be productive, you have to imagine it would be tough to call him a star player if he misses a third of the scheduled games. Not to mention, there is no guarantee that substantial rest will improve his depleting offensive numbers (15 homeruns, 66 RBI in 133 games in 2014).

Bold prediction: Shortstop Jean Segura, who seemingly fell off the map in 2014, regains his offensive numbers and establishes himself as a top-tier infielder. Sure, many predicted that Segura would regress in 2014 after seeing his late-2013 struggles. 

I think Segura will land on his feet in 2015.

But I think that his solid toolset of plus-speed, strong fielding abilities and base-stealing potential will bounce-back to above average production. The Brewers traded Zack Greinke for him, after all. They must have seen something of value in him.