Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Thames return muddies already dirty water
Eric Thames
Thames is in his second go-round at the big leagues. He hit his way out of the major leagues as a power-hitting outfielder in his early 20s, posting strikeout rates that were crazy at the time, but more typical now (25.6%), so he went to Korea, where he absolutely mashed. In three seasons in the KBO, Thames hit .349/.451/.721 with 124 home runs.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Multiple major league teams made a push for Thames when he made a return to the majors in 2017, with the Milwaukee Brewers winning his services with a 3-year/$16 million guaranteed contract that could max out at 4 years and $22.5 million. Right out of the gate, it looked like the Brewers had the signing of the offseason, as Thames hit .345/.466/.810 in April 2017 with 11 home runs.
He calmed down significantly, though he still showed plenty of patience and power the rest of the way, hitting .226/.335/.455 with 20 home runs after May 1. He was set to work with Aguilar and Braun as the left-handed side of a 1B grouping this season, and he’d come out hitting a bit more what we can expect from Thames going forward – .250/.351/.625. The slugging percentage is obviously high, but hitting for a .250ish average with an OBP over .350 and plenty of power should be what Thames provides when he’s healthy, though he’s certainly experienced more than his fair share of dings since returning to the Milwaukee Brewers.
With the thumb surgery, he could have some time where he doesn’t have quite the same power, so managing his time in the lineup against others who are currently producing while also maximizing Thames’ incredible splits against righty pitchers will be a delicate situation.
Next: Brewers 2018 top 10 prospects
While the Milwaukee Brewers have an enviable problem in that they have too many productive players for not enough spots in the lineup, but this could be one of those things that does keep a lesser man than manager Craig Counsell up at nights if he makes the wrong choice!