You can never tell anything definitive about a baseball team after only one month of play, but you can see encouraging or discouraging moments from your favorite team. For the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s been incredibly up and down so far, with an 11-12 record going into May. Some players have stepped up out of nowhere, while a couple of big names have been disappointing. So let’s quickly recap the Brewers April.
The world's fastest Home Run trot.
Player of the Month: Ryan Braun
It really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Braun, the reigning NL MVP, should be the team MVP even at this point in the season, but he’s earned it with his last week of play. Shrugging off a slow start, he’s really come alive during the last week, hitting .308 with 4 HR and 8 RBI during his last 7 games. Also, his defense has been a plus again, and his baserunning continues to be superb, with 3 stolen bases so far. Look for more progress as the season goes on.
Pitcher of the Month: Zack Greinke
Not much competition here, as the pitching has been dreadful so far, but Greinke has been the steadiest so far, with a 3-1 record and 30 strikeouts in just 29.2 innings. His breaking pitches have been spotty, but when they’re on, there’s none better. Just ask the Cardinals.
Surprise Player: Carlos Gomez
Raise your hand if you thought that Carlos Gomez would be the leading hitter after one month, with a .318 average, and 5 stolen bases. His defense continues to be great, and his plate discipline has been great so far this season. Brewers fans can only hope it continues because if it does, they have 3 potential All-Star outfielders.
Biggest Disappointment: The Pitching Staff
Now this is a disaster. The team has a team ERA over 5, by far the worst in the National League, and it all starts with the starting rotation. Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf, and Chris Narveson have struggled, and Narveson is also out for the season following shoulder surgery, futher hampering the pitching staff. They need to get back to their 2011 form for them to have any chance at the playoffs.
Best Performance: Ryan Braun, April 30 vs. San Diego (4-5, 3 HR, 3B, 6 RBI)
This was the best performance in baseball this year offensively by a long shot. The first 3 HR game ever in Petco Park had people watching in amazement as Braun pulverized the ball to all fields, including an upper-deck shot during the 5th inning. A career high 6 RBIs followed, as well as a Brewers record 15 total bases. A truly dominant performance from a dominant player.
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