The Milwaukee Brewers were one of the biggest surprises in baseball in 2017. Can they build off of that success in 2018?
Last year was expected to be a season of growth for the Milwaukee Brewers. They had several prospects on the cusp of the majors, but the future was still some time away. In fact, the biggest question heading into 2017 seemed to be whether or not Ryan Braun would be traded before he became a 10-5 player.
Instead, the Brewers were one of the biggest surprises in baseball. They battled with the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central, and even traded for Neil Walker to bolster their postseason chances. Although the Brewers finished in second and missed the postsesaon, they had their best season since 2011. The future seemed much closer than it did at the start of the year.
This offseason, Milwaukee made moves to bolster their chances to reach the playoffs. Lorenzo Cain was signed as a free agent, and the Brewers made a blockbuster deal to bring in Christian Yelich. However, questions remain, particularly in regards to the starting rotation. With Jimmy Nelson slated to miss the first portion of the season, and without another top of the rotation option behind him, the Brewers may not have done enough.
There is a great deal of optimism surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Is it warranted?