“This might sound hyperbolic, which isn’t the type of chamber Michael Jackson used to sleep in, but I think Lewis Brinson can be the Rookie of the Year in the NL next year if he gets the ABs.  He could vault himself into the conversation for top ten outfielders as soon as 2018 with the opportunity.  Only thing stopping him besides playing time is his plate discipline.  That concerns me.  He’s pretty swing happy.  Last year in 23 Triple-A games, he walked at a 2.2% clip and K’d at a 22.6% mark.” And that’s me quoting me from my Lewis Brinson post from last year. In only 47 ABs last year for the Brewers, Brinson struck out 31% of the time and hit .106. Super small sample size — that’s what she said, and then I asked her if she meant it ironically. It does show there’s still a problem here though. Of course, there’s also still wonderful to be found in Brinson. His Triple-A numbers last year were 13 HRs, 11 SBs, .331 in 299 ABs while only K’ing 18% of the time. Right direction for the fire emoji, and away from the flame out, but he did have a .377 BABIP, which is likely a little high, even for someone with his speed. So, what can we expect from Lewis Brinson for 2018 fantasy baseball?
On Prospect Ralph’s top 50 prospects for 2018 fantasy baseball, Brinson is still at 11th overall. I still love him too. Brinson, not Ralph. Though, Ralph’s kinda sexy too. In a super macho way! The only reason why I’m still talking about Brinson is because of how purdy his swing and running is. He’s a 25/25 guy in the making. Unfortunately, last year, we only watched him make, as in the 17th definition of make referring to making a doodie. How does anyone have a hard time learning English? It’s so straightforward! Also, Ryan Braun (for at least half the season) and Domingo Santana have at least two outfield spots wrapped up in Milwaukee. Braun said he’d be open to moving to first, but that might not be until 2019. Then again, shizz happens and Braun could be playing for another team by July. The last outfield spot right now looks like a Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips blahtoon. Actually, as everyone ever said when about to mansplain, Broxton’s not that bad. Hernan Perez is in the mix too. And, oh, Hayzeus Cristo, do the Brewers have a place for Brinson? I don’t think so. He feels like a guy that could slip between the Brewers’ cracks, as plumbers in Milwaukee say, and just not get enough ABs, see? Alphabet pun! I want Brinson to get 500+ at-bats, but what I want in one hand and the 17th definition of ‘make’ in the other hand, and you have more in the 2nd hand. For 2018, I’ll give Brinson the projections of 32/8/35/.241/12 in 277 ABs, but with room for more, but the Brewers need to make that room. 1st definition of ‘make’ there.
The worst part is the Brewers have even more outfielders coming too. Monte Harrison, Corey Ray, Trent Clark, and Tristen Lutz. They have their own OF top 10 of prospects.
Every team should give the Padres a prospect like the Padres are an expansion team… Ooh! Ooh! I know! Worst five teams in league get one prospect from another team… No one would go for it, unfortunately… That is one thing the NBA does better than anyone, the lottery… I went to it one year in the Boston Garden…
@Grey: The Padres are building man. I’m telling you that system is a sleeping giant. They’re the Astros 4 years ago. What we should do is give the Marlins prospects. For as long as they’ve sucked they have nothing in their system. Nothing! Then they’ll trade the few talents they have for peanuts. They gave away Francis Marte for a bag of dirt.
Really the lottery at the GAH-den?
I won’t believe the Padres are good until I see a Wild Card team… The Padres need to make ME a believer, that’s their task at hand…
I wasn’t at the lottery now that I think about it… I was at the actual draft, Stern handing out jerseys and whatnot… I think it was 1995 or 6…
@Grey: That’s awesome! And it was in Boston not NY?
I’m an AJ Preller fanboy. He’s killing the game.
Yeah, I remembered that part correctly… It was the old Garden, I was working next to door to it at the time…
@Grey: So, have you ever watched the NHL draft? I’m not saying it is better (I’ve never seen an NBA draft), just curious since you say NBA does it best.
I’ve never seen an NHL draft… Actually, I didn’t know they had a draft in the NHL, I figured if someone could skate and fight, they were put on a team…
@Grey: Haha there’s anlottery there too of some sort.
Maybe scratch-off tickets from the packie…
@Ralph Lifshitz: The Brewers were impatient last year because he got off to a slow start at the major league level and they were determined to give their starving fans the excitement of competing in the playoff race they unexpectedly found themselves in, but they have to give a guy with his track record a prolonged look-see next season. In 418 total AAA ABs, the guy has slashed .349/.409/.574 w/18 HRs and 18 SBs — how could an organization not be itching to see how that translates to the big leagues?
Agreed, Brewers need to start promoting… Maybe Braun will get traded in December…
@LenFuego: Yup, remember this well. Wrote about it almost weekly haha.
Did I knock Brinson somewhere?
@Ralph Fantasy Cyborg: No, you didn’t. I guess my point was that I am way on the side of the over on Grey’s projection of 277 ABs for Brinson – I responded to your post over any other for no good reason other than that it pointed out another factor that could interfere with him getting a significant number of at-bats.
@LenFuego:I’m with you then! No Justice for Brinson no peace!
Hope you’re right!
I like Brinson a lot and, unlike a lot of folks, I’m not sure his Ks are going to be a massive career issue. A glance at his minors numbers suggests he’s improved over time. That power/speed combo looks mighty tasty though. For some reason, he gives me Buxton vibes with his lack of success upon MLB debut. Maybe it’s their similar profiles. I hope Milwaukee gives him the ABs he needs.
As for this coming season, do you have a lot of guys you’re looking at for posts like this? You start sleepers in spring, right? One of my favorites for breakout prospect value next year is Brian Anderson in Miami. No reason for Miami not to play him and I bet he gets overlooked everywhere. Then again, I am not the Lothario, so what do I know?
Hopefully on Brinson… I start sleepers in a few days, usually the start of December thru to the rankings in mid-January… Brian Anderson, huh? Maybe, he’d be more in line with a rookie post than sleeper… He will definitely be overlooked… Doesn’t look like he does anything good time…
@Grey: He was on my top 100, me thinks he’s a Justin Bour type if it all translates. He had a power spike this year in AA and it carried through to the PCL so there’s some skepticism there. He’s a good sleeper name though, I agree.
Tweak knows his stuff!
I should be asking Tweak who to cover… You never mentioned Brian Anderson to me (honestly, maybe you did and I forgot)….
@Grey: Hahaha, I like to give you some sizzle to write about. He’s kind of lacking all sizzle, like Delaware away from the coast.
A landbound Delaware?! Oh God no…
@Ralph Lifshitz: D’aww, thanks Ralph. Ya lug.
Also, don’t encourage me. Fantasy baseballing is already an obsession, no need to go making it worse. I might end up like one of those Crabs of yours.
Hola FML! (Doh!)
Who do you keep in a 12 team 10 keeper H2h points league based on linear weights? Pick two…
Brinson
Mazara
Domingo
Buxton
Contract keeper, so they should be mine for around 5 years. All cheap… I’m leaning Maz and Bux, but I drafted Lewis through our minors system years ago so the endowment effect is looming. Thanks!
Hola, Pappy!
Domingo, Buxton
We need some MLB trading already! The biggest news this weekend was whether or not Andre Ethier was retiring. I believe the vote was everyone to one.
Ha, I know! I thought the biggest news was Doug Fister, but you might be right…
I’m not buying into the idea that Braun gets traded mid year, unless of course they are in the cellar at the deadline. Everything the Brewers do in the next month will tell us how this will play out. Considering they almost made the playoffs they seemed more primed to add to the club and go after it. Is it fair to say they are ahead of schedule on the rebuild? Or as I have also said before were they just a fortunate team in what appeared to be a down year in baseball….competitively speaking. Looking ahead the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, and Giants should be better in 2018. And don’t forget those Phillies with the JUJ leading them. So much TBD.
JUJ! I think Braun could be traded this December and the Brewers would be better in 2018, but whether the club thinks this is a whole ‘nother can of Schlitz… My guess is you’re right and Braun spends another year in Milwaukee, or at least until June/July when they’ve faded, because their pitching way overperformed this past year…
@Grey: I find the “their pitching outperformed” line troublesome. To blanket a team’s pitching has outperformed feels lazy especially in a such a hitters park. What did they collectively change to get these results, similar to what did the D-Backs do within a hitter park to perform so well, especially in the new age of homers.
Nah, it did outperform, their ERA was 4.00 with a 4.26 xFIP… They lost Nelson to a shoulder tear in September and Chase Anderson is not a 2.74 ERA pitcher.. They will be worse, will see how much worse…
@Grey: But why did they do well collectively?
Jimmy Nelson was a 5 WAR pitcher and Chase Anderson was a 3.3… The year before they were less than a 1. That prolly had a lot to do with it… Zach Davies was a 3.90 ERA with a 4.42 xFIP… Their entire starting staff outperformed, except Nelson and he’s gone until July…
@Grey: did you just use WAR? Ouh ouch ouch, sorry I rolled my eyes too hard. Nelson’s numbers dont look that bad and in regards to Chase, I’m not as harsh on him and a 3.75-4.00 seems very doable. He had plus values on all his pitches, cut contact, got hitters to chase more out of the zone, upped SWSTR. On the downside an 80% strand is a little high. What I would like to know, and this is a learning how to pitch thing. Why did he go from giving up a high percentage of batters pulling the ball on him to really spreading it out. Is this a sequencing thing? New catcher? New pitching coach? I got questions as I CHASE the truth.
Chase Anderson might’ve learned how to pitch, but it’s one thing to learn how to pitch and another thing to have mediocre stuff and that good of an ERA…
@Grey: Fastball graded out at 7.3, Curveball at 5.9 and Change up at 7.4, how much stock do you put in these values?
I put stock in these numbers, maybe Chase isn’t that awful, but the loss of Nelson and a slight regression from Anderson should still come out to a negative for next year…
I guess Im talking just him at this point. But wow, Brent Suter had a solid year as a starter for them and he throws slower than a Niekro knuckler
Exactly! Everyone on that staff had an obscene year for them… Even Garza was a positive value, though barely
Yeah that 1.76 K/BB and 4.94 ERA were really positive *rolls eyes* Why do I keep doing that
Gonna give yourself a headache… So, I finished Shot in the Dark, which I never wanted to end, and have started Firechasers, which isn’t bad…
And was using WAR because we were talking about a team in general, but I rolled my eyes too at me…
@Grey: I did that when I wrote in defense of a Brewers pitcher.
Haha, exactly!
Her Grey. How was your Turkey day? Not a Brew crew question but off season strategy question. Keeper league I have Arenado at $40 next year. Would you swap him out for Lindor at$9 and Rizzo at $ 29. Or for Lindor at$9 and Polock at $3. Rizzo intreags me with 2b eligibility. Polock has a high upside. Thanks. Thinking I can get some return on him before his salary goes up to $45 in 2019
Solid, how was your Thanksgiving? I’d take Lindor and Rizzo
What do you think about this deal….. OBP keeper league. 60 players are kept
Devers, C-Mart, pick 5, pick 12 (after 60 players are already kept)
for
Lindor, pick 44
I’d take Lindor, it’s fair