Predicting the Brewers 2014 Pitching Staff

Since I can no longer bear to think about the sad state of affairs that the Brewers are in this season, looking ahead to 2014 sounded like a better option. I feel a little bit better about the Brewers pitching options for next season than I did before the 2013 season started, but the pitching in the farm system is still weak (especially compared to some of the farm systems that the rest of the teams in our division have). Here is how I think the pitching staff will look like to start the 2014 MLB season.

Starting rotation

Kyle Lohse – Lohse has easily been the Brewers best and most consistent starting pitcher this season. He has a 9-8 record with a 3.22 ERA in 159.1 innings pitched. He has walked 32 batters while striking out 105, and has a WHIP of 1.15. He has been worth his salary this season, but hasn’t been enough to push the Brewers into playoff contention like Brewers personnel thought he would be able to do when signing Lohse in March. It’s possible that the Brewers could trade him at or before the 2014 trade deadline if he is able to keep performing like he has this year. But, as it stands right now, he’s probably going to be the club’s 2014 opening day starter.

Yovani Gallardo – Gallardo struggled early this season, then strung together a couple of good starts, and then went back to struggling before landing on the disabled list with a hamstring injury while pitching against the Cubs (he must hate Wrigley Field). If the Brewers are going to have any chance at competing in the near future, they are going to need Gallardo to pitch like he did in 2011 and 2012. Like Lohse, there is a possibility that the Brewers could end up trading Gallardo, but I think a Yovani trade is far less likely than a Lohse trade. But who knows, the Brewers have surprised me before.

Wily Peralta – I’m going to be completely honest here; I have absolutely no idea what to expect out of Peralta next year. He’s been such a hit or miss pitcher this season that I am never quite sure what to think about him. It seems like he either has the ability to lose it early in a game and not be able to recover, or he stays out there for 8 innings and is virtually unhittable; there’s not much in-between with him. For the most part, he’s been great the second half of the season, having thrown 2 complete games for the Brewers this year (although one was against the Mariners, so does that really count?). Hopefully we can see some more consistency out of him next season, and he’ll be able to pitch well right away instead of waiting until the summer months to get on a roll.

Marco Estrada – I don’t think Estrada will last in the starting rotation much past mid-May or early-June, simply because I think we’ll see the Brewers give Jimmy Nelson or perhaps Ariel Pena a shot at the rotation (or maybe even Thornburg. Maybe). I like Estrada a lot more as a long reliever, but the Brewers seem to want to keep him in the starting rotation (he WAS our 2-starter going into spring training this season), so it will be interesting to see what happens with him next year.

Johnny Hellweg – I predict that the Brewers will give Hellweg a shot over the other young starting pitchers that they have mainly because he already has some major league experience. It probably depends on who gets called up this September and how they are able to perform, but I still think Hellweg is the frontrunner. He did struggle in his short time in the majors this year, and that’s putting it nicely. However, some of his struggles can be attributed to his defense forgetting what it means to field a ball or throw it to first base. This season in Triple-A Nashville, he’s been doing very well, he just needs to be able to get his walks under control. He has the ability to throw in the upper 90s and at the very least could probably do well out of the bullpen, so he’s a good option for the Brewers to have.

Bullpen

Tyler Thornburg – Thornburg thrived in the bullpen the first time he came up this season, but was almost equally as effective as a starter. However, now that the Brewers have elected to keep Tom Gorzelanny in the starting rotation, it almost seems like they are giving up on him as a starter and think that he might be more useful in the bullpen. He may get a few more chances to start in September, but I get the feeling that the Brewers have already decided his fate (in the bullpen).

Jim Henderson – Aside from the few appearances right after he came back from a hamstring injury, he’s been completely lights out. Barring an injury or a total and complete colossal collapse (like the Cubs in the month of October), I think he already has the 2014 closer’s role locked up.

Brandon Kintzler – Kintzler has been the most consistent Brewers reliever this season, and has been the best option to bring in during the late innings in close ballgames. He’s a solid 8th inning option, but has shown that he can be used at just about any time in any situation and get the job done.

Rob Wooten – Wooten made his major league debut on July 27th against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. He pitched a scoreless inning, and has outstanding numbers during his short time in the major leagues. So far, he has a 1-0 record with a 0.69 ERA, surrendering only eight hits and one run in 14 innings pitched. He has 9 strikeouts and has issued just 2 walks, giving him a WHIP of 0.77. It’s a small sample size, but if he can continue to pitch well, there’s no doubt that he will be back next year.

Tom Gorzelanny – Unless the Brewers decide to sign a left handed reliever this off-season (hopefully they don’t waste the money), Gorzelanny is probably going to be the only left handed pitcher that the Brewers will have next season. Chris Narveson is really the only other lefty option that they have, but he has been struggling in Nashville as of late, and I don’t think he’s going to end up making the ballclub next year – at least not right away. I don’t think the Brewers would go with a bullpen comprised of all right handed pitchers, so Gorzelanny is a good fit for the pen. He’s done a decent job while starting this season (except against the Cardinals, but that seems to be a trend amongst all of the Brewers players), but ultimately he’s probably more useful out of the bullpen.

Burke Badenhop – Badenhop’s 2013 season started out kind of rough, but he’s been much better since the month of May. He can be used in multiple situations throughout a game, and Roenicke often brings Badenhop into a game when the team could use a double play. 2014 is his last year for arbitration eligibility, and the Brewers could probably get him back at a reasonable price for the season.

John Axford – I really think that it’s in the club’s best interests to just part ways with Axford, but I don’t think they are going to do it. He still has arbitration years through the 2016 season, so they will probably bring him back hoping that he can once again “figure it out.” If he does pitch well, they can always trade him if they aren’t contending. He’s making $5MM this season, so that’s probably about what he could get in arbitration again this off-season.

All of these roster spots are pure guesses on my part, and obviously a lot of things could happen during the rest of this season and the off-season that can factor into who the Brewers decide to put on their roster. I can only hope that they don’t go out and throw another 3 year contract at another veteran starting pitcher (we don’t want you, Bronson Arroyo) because they think they’re “one player away” from making a playoff run again. Also, please, please, please don’t bring back Mike Gonzalez. I’m begging you.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Brewers First Half Report Card: The Bullpen

To wrap up the mid-season grading of the Milwaukee Brewers, below is how the bullpen ranks up. Unlike last year, the bullpen has actually been a bright spot for the Brewers this season. Minus a few hiccups here and there, the bullpen has been a dominate force the National League. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Brewers bullpen ranks 3rd in the NL in ERA. With that, here we go.

Tyler Thornburg – A

Thornburg has only thrown 13.1 innings this season, but he has been very useful in his short time in the big leagues. He has compiled a 1.35 ERA and has only walked four batters while striking out nine. His biggest vulnerability last season was giving up the homerun ball. This season, he has yet to surrender a homerun (although Gomez and Schafer both pulled back balls that would have been homeruns with Thornburg on the mound). In my opinion, he deserves a spot in the starting rotation (at least on a trial basis). With the way the season is going (which is way, way down the drain), we may as well see what he can do for us.

Francisco Rodriguez – A
 
The Brewers’ current closer has a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings this season. He has struck out 25 while walking 8. He has only given up two homeruns this year, which is pretty impressive because that seemed to be one of his biggest weaknesses last season. He has limited opponents to a .200 batting average off of him and is a crisp 9/9 in save opportunities. Personally, I don’t think he can keep these numbers up for much longer so I’m hoping that we can ship him off to a contending team before he comes back down to earth.

John Axford – B+

While he struggled mightily for the entire month of April (losing his closer’s role to Jim Henderson), he was eventually able to get back to being the dominant John Axford who fans enjoyed watching in 2011. He has a 3.72 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched in 2013. He’s walked 17 batters, struck out 40, and has allowed 6 homeruns. He is 0/4 on the season in save opportunities, but has been very effective when used in the seventh and eighth innings. He probably has done enough to earn his closer’s role back, but with K-Rod and Henderson both currently on the team, Axford probably won’t get many opportunities to close out games for awhile.

Burke Badenhop – B
 
Overall Burke has been pretty effective for the Brewers this season, although his 4.14 ERA doesn’t necessarily reflect that. He has thrown 41.1 innings and has only given up four homers, while allowing 9 walks and striking out 30. In his career, he has always had more success getting out right handed hitters, but this year his splits are pretty even. If used in the right circumstances, he can usually get the job done.

Brandon Kintzler – B+

Kintzler owns a 2-0 record with a 3.40 ERA in 39.2 IP this season. He has only allowed 2 homeruns and twelve walks while striking out 37. He has not allowed any unearned runs to score this season. While other guys have had good months and bad months, Kintzler has been relatively consistent for the Brewers all season long. He has done a very good job getting the Brewers through to the next inning with the lead. He has zero blown saves and has recorded 9 holds this season. He’s been used in pretty much every situation this season with the exception of the closer’s role, and has shown that he’s a versatile bullpen pitcher who can be very useful for this team in the future.

Mike Gonzalez – C

While he has a respectable 3.00 ERA for the season, he hasn’t exactly been as efficient of a pitcher as some of the basic pitching stats would suggest. He has an 0-3 record this season with three blown saves to his name in 33 innings pitched. He has issued 17 walks while striking out 40 and giving up four homeruns. These all look like pretty good numbers, but you have to account for the fact that he is a “left handed specialist,” meaning that he comes into games with the specific purpose of getting out left handed hitters. Often times this means that he will be inheriting a couple of baserunners, and it’s his job to keep these runners from scoring. This season, Gonzalez has allowed 48% of inherited baserunners to score. FOURTY EIGHT PERCENT! He has a LOB% of 88% with his own baserunners, which is much better, but these are not the kind of numbers you want to see out of your left handed specialist. He was all sorts of awful in April and then seemed to figure it out in May, but hasn’t been overly impressive since his good month of May.  He has a WAR of 0, which means that he has no positive impact compared to others who are in the same role as he is. Overall he’s done an okay job, but has done a pretty poor job of getting left handed hitters out – which is what the Brewers primarily would like to use him for. He’s actually been better facing righties than lefties this year, which is kind of strange, but hey, at least he’s getting someone out?

Tom Gorzelanny – A+

Gorzelanny has probably been the Brewers overall best pitcher in 2013. He has been used both as a bullpen man and a starter, and Roenicke just announced that Gorzelanny will remain in the starting rotation permanently after his last outstanding start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a 1.88 ERA in 52.2 IP. Most of these innings came out of the bullpen, but he has made a couple of spot starts for the Brewers this season. He has walked 20 and struck out 50. All three of his losses this year are undeserving, and two of them came in his last two starts, where he allowed zero earned runs in a combined twelve innings pitched. He has only allowed 5 homeruns this season and is holding opponents to a .196 batting average, which is outstanding. With all of the problems the Brewers have had with their starting rotation this season, it’s nice to see a guy be able to step up and help out when the Brewers desperately needed someone.

Jim Henderson – A

Henderson was installed as the closer when John Axford was removed from the role after a very poor start to the season. Jim has a 3-3 record with a 2.41 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched. He has converted 10/13 save opportunities this season and has only allowed two homeruns. He has walked 14 and struck out 35. He was virtually impossible to score upon during the first month and a half of the season, but has looked more vulnerable as of late. He had a DL stint earlier this season thanks to a tweaked hamstring and lost his closer’s role to K-Rod. He hasn’t seemed to be able to have as much success in the eighth inning as he had when he was closing games, but I think this is more of a coincidence than a “mental” thing. If (well, hopefully “when”) K-Rod is traded, Henderson may get his closer’s role back. It will be interesting to see if he could go back to being lights out in the closers role or if he continues to struggle like he has been in the seventh and eighth inning lately. Overall, he’s been better than anyone could have hoped for this season.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

The Brewers Projected Starting Rotation

A few weeks ago I took a look at the Brewers new bullpen. Had some great feedback on that, so to continue this preview of sorts of the 2013 Brewers, I will be taking a look at the projected starting rotation. As I began writing this piece, I asked my followers who they thought would be in the starting five. This created quite the stir, as my mentions blew up through the roof. It's probably the hottest subject going into Spring Training for the Brewers, as the starting line-up is pretty set in stone barring injury and the bullpen is somewhat set minus one core spot to fill in spring. Ideally, Gallardo and Fiers are likely the two pitchers that are pretty much a lock for the rotation. After them, however, is when things get mighty interesting. Out of the four other leading candidates, only one has an option to be sent to Triple-A; which makes this very simple to decide on my projected starting five.

1. Yovani Gallardo - I don't think this is a surprise to anyone that Yo will be in our rotation in 2013, and rightfully sitting at the top. In 2011, Yo had one of his best pitching years since becoming a pro as he finished 7th for National League Cy Young. Though still posting a decent record in 2012, Gallardo became very inconsistent. It took Gallardo a good portion of the season to get into a rhythm. Gallardo finished out the 2012 season going 8-1 (July 31st - September 28th) with three no-decisions and an ERA of just under 3.00 (2.9998 to be exact). If Yo can get into a rhythm to start the year out, he could easily have his eyes set on 18, 19, or 20 wins this up coming season. And, any of this three win counts would be a career high (17 wins in 2011).

2. Mike Fiers - Barring an extremely bad spring, Fiers more than proved himself last season to be a starter in the Brewers' rotation. And, as a rookie last year, he is likely to get better this year. A fatigued arm made him slow down towards the end of last season, but in my eyes that was to be expected as a rookie. Last year, he lead the National League in lowest ERA for about three months or so. I would expect Fiers to go between 160-170 innings this year and easily having 150+ strikeouts to add to his resume. I'll go as far as to say his ERA will lower significantly. The good thing about Fiers is that even if he does can to start the year, he does have an option left to be sent down to the minors to tweak any issues that could arise.

3. Marco Estrada - Above I mentioned consistency and rhythm with Gallardo. The same goes for Estrada, if not more importantly than Gallardo. On April 21st, Estrada moved to the rotation to take over for Chris Narveson. He didn't get his first win until August 21st. Granted, he had eleven no decisions mixed in with his 0-5 start, but nevertheless the Brewers cant afford to have a stretch like that in 2013. As a full time starter this year, I would expect Estrada to pitch about 180 innings this season, with a strikeout total of about 170. In 138 innings in 2012, he accumulated 143 strikeouts. Estrada has to come off strong to start the year to have a consistent season as a full time pitcher in this very young and in-experienced rotation.

4. Chris Narveson - I don't think I am the only one who is very concerned for the bottom of the rotation. Narveson is my first worry. It has already come through the Brewers news wire that Narveson is "100% ready to go and cleared to pitch with no restrictions in Spring Training". Not to compare football to baseball or apples to oranges, but Packers' Jerel Worthy recently had a "bruised knee" and then had ACL reconstruction surgery a week later with Dr. James Andrews. Narveson is coming back from rotator cuff surgery on his throwing arm. Besides having Tommy Johns, it is the most difficult surgery to come back from as a pitcher. I would imagine regardless of what percentage of ready Narveson is, he is going to have some kind of innings limit this year. Depending on how his production and record is at the All Star break, I wouldn't be surprised if they shut him down then, and replace him with a young arm in the minors. The thing to remember is that the Brewers organization takes extra care of their pitchers.

5. Mark Rogers - Rounding out the bottom of the order will be Mark Rogers. Rogers made it to only 39 innings pitched before the Brewers shut him down with precautionary intentions. I would be surprised if Rogers went more than 100 innings this year. He too could be on the same path as Narveson where he gets shut down at the All Star break. Rogers is another healthy year away from being a regular starter in our rotation without any innings restrictions. Luckily, the Brewers have young, talented arms that will fill in nicely for our pitchers who might get shut down.

I can think of three starters in the minors that will be on the outside looking in and are thirsty for their chance for a spot in the Brewers' rotation. First and foremost, the first pitcher to have dibs on a spot has to be Wily Peralta. I think for him to start in the minors to start 2013 is a fantastic idea simply because he still has a few things to work on before he embarks on full time status. Control issues and fatigue are his two main concerns. Giving him half the season in Nashville will give him enough time to work out his kinks to make him fully available for a call up at the All Star break. The second pitcher that comes to mind is Tyler Thornburg. Thornburg has a chance to be called up first out of all the pitchers in our minors because he can serve as a starter or he can fill in the bullpen if need be. Thornburg could use the time in the minors as well. He needs to develop better locations on his fastball when behind in counts, which will improve his 8 homeruns in 22 innings pitched ratio he had last year. Finally, top pitching prospect Hiram Burgos has a chance to make an appearance this season. Say Thornburg and Peralta are already up for Narveson and Rogers and someone needs to hit the DL, Burgos would likely be the guy we would call up unless we look to spot start someone in our bullpen like Tom Gorzelanny. Nonetheless, regardless of how our rotation pans out, the Brewers are a few steps ahead of the game for fill ins and replacements.



Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @AndrewVrchota, @JoeP_Norton, @Brandon_BFP, @SMahon2Go @ryan_937, @Mik3_Schu. Finally, find us on Instagram! (wisportsblog)

Top 10 Brewers Prospects in 2013

Pitchers and catchers are set to report for the Milwaukee Brewers in 40 days. It is time again to look over our farm systems and rank the top prospects the Brewers have. Last season, we seen many players in the likes of Mike Fiers, Wily Peralta, Jim Henderson, and Mark Rogers come up through our system and succeed in 2012. We also seen Jean Segura, Angels' top prospect, come over in a trade, who also opened people's eyes last year. With all of those men now on our major league roster, I really don't consider them prospects anymore, with the exception of Wily Peralta. With that, here's a rundown of who I see as the Top 10 prospects for the Brewers.

10. OF Victor Roache - The Brewers drafted Victor with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Not many people knew where Victor would fall on the draft board because of his broken wrist he suffered during his sophomore year in college. Before he broke his wrist, he was on an absolute tear in college, mustering up 30 home runs. He will be ready to go this spring, and will likely be assigned to Helena or the Timber Rattlers. MLB.com projects him making his major league debut in 2015. He has one of the best power bats in our minor league system. His average speed and range will  compliment him nicely as a corner outfielder. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on in 2013 to see how he progresses after his wrist injury.

9. C Clint Coulter - Just like Roache, Coulter was also picked in the first round in the 2012 MLB Draft. Coulter was 27th overall, one pick ahead of Roache. This pick was awarded to the Brewers from the Tigers when Prince Fielder signed his contract with Detroit last January. Clint is only 19 years old, however he is 6'3" 210 pounds and is full of integrity. He didn't hold out for a large contract after the Brewers drafted him. He quickly signed and began playing for the Brewers rookie level Arizona league in June. Clint has about as much power as Victor Roache, but he isn't a a pure hitter like Victor potentially could be. As for catching, he has a great arm. He needs to most work on his footwork and fluency behind the plate, as well as spotting balls from going past him. MLB.com projects him making his debut in 2016.

Photo: MiLB.com

8. LHP Jed Bradley - Bradley is an interesting placement here. Last year, the southpaw was in everyone's Top 5 or better. But, after a very down 2012 season, he has a lot of work to do to be ready for the majors. He finished with a 5-10 record in the minors last year with an extremely high ERA of 5.53. He was sent to the DL mid-season with a groin injury. Then, in August, Bradley was shut down for the rest of the season with arm fatigue. His statistics and tired arm will both be set-backs for Jed. MLB.com projects Jed to arrive in the majors in 2013. However, I would say 2014 or 2015 is more realistic. Jed has a 4 pitch mix when he's on the mound. He has a mid-90s level fastball, a on or off slider, and also mixes in a change up and curveball. Keep an eye on Bradley this season to see if he can bounce back after his off 2012. With the Brewers already running on empty with a honorable lefty in the rotation, the Brewers hope to see Bradley sooner, rather than later.

7. OF Logan Schafer - Schafer is one of those good stories in our farm system. Logan has been dealt with injury after injury since being drafted in the 3rd round in 2008. His first set-back injury was a nagging thumb injury. Following that, in 2010 he was on and off the DL with numerous other injuries. In 2011, he bounced back nicely and played great ball in Triple-A. Logan then made his major league debut for the Brewers in mid 2012. He doesn't have much power, nor a lot of speed. He hits to all over the field, he is a smart baserunner, and he players great defense in center field. Logan is projected to be the number four outfielder on the Brewers 25 man roster to start the 2013 season, which is very convenient as MLB.com projected his MLB debut would be in 2012.

Photo: MiLB.com

6. 1B Hunter Morris - Morris was drafted by the Brewers in the fourth round of the 2010 Draft. Morris is coming off his best year as a minor leaguer. In 2012, Morris was the Southern League Most Valuable Player after hitting .303/.357/.563 with 28 home runs and 113 runs batted in. He also won the Robin Yount Performance Award as the Brewers Minor League Player of the Year. Hunter Morris is currently ranked the 4th best first base prospect in the MLB. Depending on how serious the Brewers are about retaining Corey Hart, or seeing how Mat Gamel turns around this season, we may be seeing Hunter Morris sooner rather than later. MLB projects him to debut in 2013, which I see as an accurate arrival time. Hunter will likely be a September call up in 2013, which could be a nice preview heading into the 2014 offseason.

5. 2B Scooter Gennett - Gennett was drafted by the Brewers in 2009 in the 16th round of the MLB Draft out of Sarasota, Florida. Many call Scooter an "undersized overachiever". Standing at only 5'10" and weighing a buck sixty five, he is the little engine that could. Scooter is currently ranked the 8th best second base prospect in all the MLB. Gennett represented the Brewers at the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. Scooter's biggest accomplishment in 2012 was when he was still 21 years old, he hit for the cycle against the Royals farm team in March. Many wonder how long Scooter will remain in our organization before he becomes trade bait. With Rickie Weeks currently at second base, Scooter doesn't really have another option other than wait it out. However, if the Brewers decide they need more cap space, freeing up Weeks may be a future option and Gennett would be in line to take over the helm at second.

Photo: brewers.mlblogs.com

4. RHP Johnny Hellweg - Hellweg is another interesting story. Hellweg was a relief pitcher for the Angels organization until 2011 when they switched him to a starter. Now, in normal circumstances, the success rate of this kind of switch is next to nothing. The exact opposite scenario is where the success is found, as in when a starting pitcher is converted into a relief pitcher. But, Hellweg has proved that statistic wrong. Johnny came over to the Brewers along with Jean Segura and Ariel Pena from the Angels in the Zack Greinke trade. Hellweg stands at 6'9" 210 pounds. He has the potential to be a great strikeout pitcher, as he carries a good fastball, a moving change-up, and a few off speed pitches. If he can control his walks, he could see some time later on in 2013 if and when Mark Rogers gets shut down again.

3. RHP Taylor Jungmann - Out of all of our starting pitching prospects not currently in Triple-A Nashville or on our major league ball club, I would say Jungmann is the closest player to be ready for our starting rotation. In Single-A ball, Jungmann had a pretty decent line in 2012. In 26 starts, Taylor went 11-6 with a 3.53 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 46 walks. One stat that is alarming is that he gave up about 1 hit per inning. (159 hits in 153 innings pitched). 2013 will be a huge test on Jungmann's progression as he looks like advance in our minor league system. If all goes well, I see Yungmann ending 2013 in Triple-A Nashville, and maybe even a spot on the Brewers' roster when rosters expand in September.

2. RHP Tyler Thornburg - Tyler is probably the most ready pitcher in our farm system coming into 2013. We saw him make a spot start in 2012 when the Brewers were shorthanded in their rotation due to injury. The one thing Thornburg needs to pick up to become ready for the big leagues is that when you're behind in a count, you cannot serve up a fast ball done the middle. You will be punished every time. As a result, Thornburg gave up a lot of home runs during his short time in the Brewers rotation. Thornburg was most dominate in Double-A ball last year, going 8-1 with a 3.00 ERA with 71 strikeouts on 24 walks. If Tyler can make a few tweaks in his game plan when behind in a count, there is no doubt he is ready for the Brewers' starting rotation.

Photo: Fox Sports Wisconsin

1. RHP Wily Peralta - Peralta is here by default, too be honest. I see him being the odd man out of the Brewers rotation once spring ball is over with. Peralta no doubt will have his spot in the rotation when the time is right, but I think between the control issues Peralta had last season and his arm fatigue that shut him down before the 2012 season concluded, I think the best choice is to put Peralta in Triple-A to start the season off. Similiar to what Washington should have done with Stephen Strasburg last year, the Brewers could choose to not start up Peralta until May to preserve his arm for any potential success the Brewers have come October. But, in any case, Peralta has all to potential in the world to have a bullpen built around him, much like what the Brewers are doing with Yovani Gallardo in 2013.

Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @AndrewVrchota, @JoeP_Norton, @Brandon_BFP, @SMahon2Go @ryan_937, @Mik3_Schu. Finally, find us on Instagram! (wisportsblog)