MLB Playoffs: 2018 NLDS Series Preview Brewers vs Rockies
The Miller/Coors saga moves from the brewery to the baseball diamond for the 2018 MLB Playoffs as the Milwaukee Brewers are set to host the Colorado Rockies in a best-of-five National League Division Series (NLDS) starting October 4.
Based on recent power rankings, the best MLB teams play in the American League (AL). The National League (NL) is wide open and creates an atmosphere in the MLB Playoffs that puts every team in contention to make a serious World Series push in 2018.
The 2016 Champion Chicago Cubs fell to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, Oct. 1, thereby losing the 2018 NL Central title and setting up a Wild Card Game with the Colorado Rockies. A grueling 13-inning victory for the Rockies set up the NLDS showdown with Milwaukee in the NLDS portion of the MLB Playoffs.
The Brewers should be well-rested and carrying momentum following their pursuit and conquering of the Chicago Cubs.
Milwaukee made up five games in the NL Central standings during September to win the Division. But, the Brewers had several Thursdays off during their run towards the MLB Playoffs. Furthermore, Milwaukee earned the opportunity to rest their roster from Monday to Thursday by beating the Cubs.
On the other hand, the Colorado Rockies lost their game 163 and emptied much of their bullpen overcoming the Cubs in the 13-inning Wild Card Game. The Rockies flew from Denver on Sunday to Los Angeles on Monday to Chicago for a game on Tuesday and will roll into Milwaukee in time for the NLDS on Thursday.
The Rockies and Brewers carry momentum and Cinderella status into the 2018 MLB Playoffs.
The Brewers ride an eight-game winning streak into the MLB Playoffs. Plus, they feature the hottest hitter in baseball, Christian Yelich
Furthermore, the Miller Park crowd in Milwaukee will be especially loud after Yelich challenged them to help the team out in his article for the Players Tribune. And, the Brewers organization would love to bring a title home for living legend and pride of the Brewers, Bob Uecker, while he is still in the radio booth.
Uecker seems to have a special connection to this Brewers team and it would be good for baseball, not just Milwaukee, for Ueck to add a Brewers World Series ring to his Hall of Fame ring.
“The friendship with these guys,” Uecker choked out with all the passion he could muster. “They treat me like a player!”
But, the Rockies will be a tough matchup. They are also looking for a first World Series title. They might not have a history dating back to 1970 like the Brewers, but they would love to step out from the shadows of the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
During the regular season, the Brewers won five of seven meetings. But, a roster breakdown shows two pretty equal teams on paper.
2018 MLB Playoffs: Brewers Position Players Very Similar But Deeper Than Rockies Heading Into NLDS Matchup
Final 25-man MLB Playoffs rosters were not set as of the writing of this article, but the idea that it even matters shows how deep these teams can play.
The Brewers, in particular, might have tough decisions when it comes to keeping red-hot pinch hitter Domingo Santana, veteran presence Curtis Granderson, left-handed power hitter Eric Thames, and utility man Tyler Saladino while maintaining their deep bullpen.
Two of those players will probably not make the team.
On paper, a quick compare and contrast between the 2018 Playoffs teams from Denver and Milwaukee look most similar.
Milwaukee rosters the likely MVP of the National League, Yelich. The Rockies have arguably the best player in the National League in third baseman Nolan Arenando. Yelich almost won the NL Triple Crown in 2018 and would have been the first player since 1937.
To place that in context, 1937 was Joe DiMaggio’s second year in baseball, it was the year Amilia Earhart disappeared over the Atlantic, and actors Jack Nicolson, Dustin Hoffman, and Morgan Freeman were just being born.
While Yelich won the batting title, Arenando led the NL in home runs and continued to play Gold Glove defense at third base.
The Rockies have Charlie Blackmon leading off. He had a down 2018, but raised his OPS to over 1.000 when it mattered most during a September battle with the Dodgers for a NL West title.
Trevor Story might win 2018 NL Comeback Player of the Year. He picked up for any lost numbers from Blackmon’s off-year. Story did, however, deal with some elbow discomfort in September.
For Milwaukee, Lorenzo Cain dealt with a tight side in September. Like Story, he appears to be okay. Cain, unlike Blackmon, has had a great year as the Brewers leadoff hitter. Cain’s good offense was expected, however.
Jesus Aguilar is the Brewer who comes into the 2018 Playoffs with a better statistical season than expected like Story did for the Rockies. Aguilar raised his WAR total from 1.2 to 3.2 from 2017 to 2018. He took over as the Brewers starting first baseman this season and doubled his RBI total to over 100 in 2018.
The Brewers and Rockies also have resurgent veterans. Milwaukee’s 10-year veteran Ryan Braun had an OPS of .599 in July, but pumped that up to .963 in September by raising his launch angle. Colorado picked up 14-year veteran Matt Holliday in August. Holliday has more home runs in Milwaukee’s Miller Park than any opposition’s home in his career with 17.
The Rockies also have Gold Glove outfielder Gerado Parra to compare to the Brewers slick fielding shortstop Orlando Arcia, and hot-hitting David Dahl plus veteran Carlos Gonzalez to matchup with Brewers offense threats Mike Moustakas and Travis Shaw.
While Colorado will go with batting average ace DJ LeMahieu at second base, the Brewers have power hitting Jonathan Schoop at second base or shortstop.
The deep bench is where the Brewers might have an upper hand. Players such as Santana, Granderson, Thames and Hernan Perez give them extra depth.
2018 MLB Playoffs: Rockies Have the Starters, Brewers Have the Bullpen
Despite playing in hitters haven Coors Field, the young Colorado Rockies starting pitchers demanded more attention building towards their 2018 MLB PLayoffs run.
In the Wild Card Game against the Chicago Cubs, Rockies Kyle Freeland competed head-to-head against Cubs World Series tested ace starter Jon Lester and kept Colorado right in it.
The Rockies also have German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela who have ERA+ readings above average. ERA+ is a stat that accounts for park conditions.
The Brewers have a mish-mash of starters that Manager Craig Counsell uses with caution. Hitters tend to hit pitchers better when seeing them the third time through the lineup. Therefore, Counsell takes advantage of his deep, quality bullpen by keeping a short leash on his starters and taking them out of games after going through a lineup twice.
Milwaukee has an electric closer with Jeremy Jeffress. Last season’s breakout closer, Craig Knebel struggled to begin the year, but found himself in Triple-A and returned to the big league club. Knebel recorded 33 strikeouts to just three walks during September.
The Brewers have even more depth in the bullpen. Rookie Corbin Burnes has looked good, and general manager David Stearns added White Sox closer Joakim Soria to help out before the trade deadline.
And this is all without mentioning arguably the best reliever in baseball, Josh Hader. Hader set the record for most strikeouts by a lefty reliever in a single season in 2018. Furthermore, Hader often gives Counsell two innings per appearance.
The Rockies made news by investing in relief arms during the 2017-18 offseason. Wade Davis has closed games out for Colorado. The bullpen as a whole has had its ups and downs despite its pedigree.
One matchup to watch is Rockies set up pitcher Adam Ottavino against Brewers clutch hitter Ryan Braun late in games.
In the 2011 NLCS, St Louis reliever Octavio Dotel was a Braun killer. Dotel used his big slider to strike out Braun six times in eight at-bats over their careers.
Ottavino has a similar big slider and could use it to neutralize Braun late in games here in the 2018 MLB Playoffs.
This NLDS between the Brewers and Rockies should be close, but, if the baseball gods have anything to say, the Brewers are the team of fate.
After beating the Cubs, legend Bob Uecker could be seen sobbing with happiness, dancing in the suds of champaign and Miller Beer. Robert Murray of the Athletic watched it go down.
Uecker, by now a boy again, looked to a passing Orlando Arcia.
“Orlando baby!…” Uecker reportedly yelled. “You’re my… hero! I mean that. I mean that. You’re my…hero. Thank you!”
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Make no mistake about it, the Rockies are going to come to play. But the Brewers have more narrative to tell with a win and a march to the World Series in the 2018 MLB Playoffs.