The Brewers Have a Golden Opportunity...

The Brewers have a golden opportunity coming off a series win against the New York Mets, where many players are starting to turn around their seasons. A favorable schedule lies ahead and could Milwaukee take advantage of that? They could be in very good position for the playoffs, and I know it's early. It's very early to speak on the playoffs as we're only in late July, but hey, the Brewers hold the best record in Major League Baseball, and they need to make a push this season. There's really no better time. I welcome you in to another episode of Brewers Digest. I'm and I got you covered on everything you need to know about the Milwaukee Brewers. You start off All-Star break with a sweep against the Miami Marlins, then you follow that up taking two out of three games against the New York Mets. This Brewers team is absolutely rolling, and I want to dive into what we saw in Game 3, bouncing off that ugly Game 2 loss. We take a look at the box score right here for the Milwaukee Brewers, and this was kind of a nail-biter game, a little bit too close for comfort. Nice to see that the Brewers are able to come through with it, though, despite giving up one run in the top of the ninth What I want to touch on here, Christian Jelic has two hits in this game. One of them is a triple, also had a single, driving and runners on both of those, and then Joey Ortiz had an opportunity for the cycle, did get walked in his fourth at-bat. He continues to go on a heater, as I touched on in the previous video. This month of July, these past 15 games, whatever time range you want to go across it, for Joey Ortiz, he just played some really good baseball. Despite only four runs scored in that game, the offense looked really, really good, and the Brewers did post a pretty funny graphic right here with Joey Ortiz's almost cycle. He got the triple right away, then followed it up with a single, got a double that got stuck under the tarp, and then was walked in that fourth at-bat. But very exciting game for the crew, a great crowd, great environment, as always at American Family Field. But outside of Joey Ortiz, I do want to touch on Christian Jelic and what we've seen from him so far. He's still in this leadoff spot for the Milwaukee Brewers, which I know a lot of people will have questions about, but two hits for him, one of them was a triple to straightaway center field, the other one lined on the ground to the left side for an RBI single. Both of those hits looked like vintage Jelic, which is obviously the form that we always hope that we can get out of him in the year 2026. But nice to see he's starting to maybe piece it together. There are still some of those ugly strikeout at-bats here and there, but this brings up a question that I want to ask you guys, because I know a lot of people have had thoughts on Christian Jelic in the lineup and where he really sits, so I want to ask you guys a question about his position. Do you think Jelic should still bat in the leadoff spot? And if you say no, where would you put him in the order? I think he should still bat leadoff just because the power's not there anymore. Maybe you put him a little bit lower, but do you really want him to be like the cleanup hitter if he doesn't have much pop anymore? So I say there's yes, keep him in the leadoff spot. No, put him second. No, put him third. No, put him fourth. I don't go lower than that because his relationship with Pat Murphy, I do not see a world where Pat Murphy puts Christian Jelic lower than fourth in the Brewers lineup. Or I say no, replace him in the lineup. I hope that none of you are thinking of that as an option because I do not think that he should be replaced. I know when Freelick comes back, which could be a little bit while, that'll put Andrew Vaughn back on the bench and he's not getting much time. A lot of people want Vaughn in that DH spot instead of Jelic. There are multiple options that the Brewers could go with, but I don't see a world where he's out of this lineup. I don't see a world where he's lower than fourth in the order. I think maybe if you move him, maybe try him second or third. I just don't think the cleanup spot because the power is not there. And also putting him lower, he grounds out so much. You don't want to put him in that position where he could ground into a double play to end the inning. So I think leadoff spot is still fine, but I do understand people have different views on where Jelic really should be in the lineup. But nice to see he put two hits together, looked like vintage Jelic, hoping to get more of that this season. But we can talk about the bats. I do want to talk about the pitchers in this contest for the Milwaukee Brewers in this Game 3 against New York Mets. And how about Logan Henderson? I mean, look at it right here. He had a tide for his career high with nine strikeouts. His ERA now goes down to 3.05 on the season. Threw five innings of work, only gave up two earned runs. Still doing great. Not allowing many base runners for free. Actually zero, I should say, this game. No walks for him right there. And those two runs did come up via the long ball, which we have seen a little bit from Logan Henderson. When he gives up the runs, it's usually via a home run ball, which we saw with Freddie last year when he was on the Brewers. We're seeing it with Sproat a little bit this year. So you know what? If you're giving up two runs and it's two solo shots through five innings, not the worst, but still something to pay attention to that that is how he's giving up the runs. But man, Logan Henderson has been very good for the Milwaukee Brewers. He's back, he's healthy, he looks great. Obviously concerns because he keeps getting injured here and there, but he has been very solid underrated piece for the Milwaukee Brewers to hold this best record in baseball with all of these injuries in the pitching rotation. Brandon Woodruff done for the year. Quinn Priester done for the year. Kyle Harrison still waiting on him to come back. Logan Henderson has really been a valuable piece in that starting rotation. And that also brings me to another question that I want to ask you guys, which is an interesting one. Logan Henderson is the Brewers what best starting pitcher? See the second best, the third best, the fourth or the fifth. Right now out of everyone healthy, I would put him second. When Harrison comes back, I'd probably put him third, but I'd put Henderson above Sproat and above Gasser. Drowin is an interesting argument. I think Henderson and Drowin are right there in similar company with one another, but I didn't even put first as an option because he's not going to be higher than Jacob Mizorowski because no one in the in Major League Baseball is going to be higher than Jacob Mizorowski. But it's an interesting question. I want to put it to you guys as well. So feel free to answer that in the comments down below. But we take a look at Henderson's game log and he's starting to really put it together. His first start of the season back in April. That was definitely one to forget to not last long at all. Only two innings, but since then a 2.1 ERA in the month of May and then after coming back from this injury in July did spike a little bit, but still a 3.52. That's a solid ERA. If this rotation is back and healthy because Logan Henderson, if he could be like the four in this rotation, it'll it'll be interesting to see how it's built out by playoff time. Do the Brewers add a pitcher? Is Kyle Harrison back and healthy? Because then there'd be Mizorowski, Kyle Harrison, Trowin, Henderson, maybe who's three don't really know how this would build out in a playoff series. Again, if the Brewers go to get a pitcher, would they get someone that could be the number three? Lots of mix and match that the Brewers can do, but looks like Henderson is really starting to figure it out. So it's nice to see that. But the pitcher that I want to touch on that is absolutely figuring it out or has figured it out over the past couple of months now. We turn it over to Trevor McGill, the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has put together a phenomenal season from May and on. If you remember to start the season, McGill was not looking like that all-star self, not that playoff McGill that we saw, especially dominating the Chicago Cubs. He was struggling very heavily. There's no other way to put it. It was really concerning. He lost the closer role actually to Abner Ribe. That's how rough his season started, but from May and on, he has been absolutely phenomenal and it's really nice to see you have a trustworthy closer back again. So I talk about starting in May, so I want to flash all these graphics right here. Trevor McGill's numbers from May and on. So this is his month of May where he really turned it up. He started the month with a six ERA, dropped it all the way down to a 4.29 after having a one point ERA in the month of May, only gave up two earned runs through 10 innings of work. After that month of May, you swing it on over to June where he put up even better numbers, only a 1.64 ERA in that month, dropping his ERA from over a four down to 3.38, which he gave up two earned runs over 11 innings of work. Then you go to this month of July and he continues his dominance. In July, a 1.29 ERA. So, so, so nice to see. I know one of those earned runs did come in yesterday's contest, but that was his first earned run he gave up in the month of July. One earned run through seven innings of work. McGill looks comfortable. He looks great. The strikeouts as well. They are still there. You know, some games he has zeros in the strikeouts department, but hey, if you're giving up zero runs, I don't really care if you're getting the strikeouts or not, because you asked McGill to come into the game and you are asking for one inning and zero runs. And that is basically what he's doing every game. Luckily, yesterday's, he had that two run lead. So that one run given up did not determine the result of the game for the Milwaukee Brewers. So if McGill were to give up a run, it would be in a contest like this. So it's kind of a perfect match. He's always due to give up one run. You can only be so dominant for so many games in a row, but the fact that that was July 22nd, and that's the first run he gave up in the month of July, that kind of shows some good science. I want to take also a look at a stat cast. What has really worked for McGill, because this is a guy that literally only throws two pitches. He doesn't throw two and kind of a third. He only has the fastball and the knuckle curve, and he has been able to get it to work. He uses that four seam fastball 64% of the time, then follows the rest of it with the other 36% with that knuckle curve. You see the fastball velocity difference as well, right around 98 miles an hour to 88 on the knuckle curve. So 10 miles an hour in difference. And the break on that curve is absolutely insane. But the stat cast, I mean, the one con about it when they hit McGill, they usually hit him pretty hard, but that is because of how hard he throws that fastball to really the only concerning blue is that average exit velocity when he gives up hits, but lots of positives in the red. You look at the top, the run value on his breaking pitch of that knuckle curve and his four seam fastball, very high in there in the percentiles. And this is just beautiful to look at. Not really any comments on it, which is perfect. In my opinion, you look at the stats on the left and in 2026, he's putting together a 0.97 whip. The era still sits at three just because of how much he early in the season, but he has a 1.6 era from may and on. So that's what I'm really looking at. You want to look at recent play. You want to look at the trends and that is where he sits, but talking about recent play, let's take a look at the opponents that the brewers will be playing in the upcoming series. It will start with the Colorado Rockies, but why I say the brewers have a golden opportunity is because they hold the best record in baseball. They lead the NL central and they have a lighter schedule stretch. Some of these games do come on the road, but the brewers have an opportunity to really take advantage and really push themselves up, not just the national league ranks, but the ranks across all of major league baseball. Swing on over to the schedule right here. They have three games against the Colorado Rockies, which all come at home. They do not play today. This starts on Friday. Then they hit the road. They play at San Francisco against the giants team that is absolutely struggling. They're about 15 games under 500. Then you go to a team that's struggling even more than the giants in the Los Angeles Angels also playing at their ballpark. So you look at this. This is nine very winnable games. It's very hard to go on win streaks with the Red Sox just did was absolutely incredible. But if the brewers can get like, what's a realistic number? I mean, if you go two out of three in all of these series, if you win all three series, I'd be pretty satisfied. But when you look at the contest, I mean, these are three really bottom of the barrel teams. I would hope the brewers could get like seven wins out of it, but I'm not even trying to be greedy. There's injuries in the pitching rotation. Pitchers are due for some rough games. The offense is due to go silent as we saw in the second game against the Mets. But the brewers can get like six wins out of this stretch. That would be very nice. Obviously, you'd hope for more, but I think if they can go two out of three against all of these teams, I couldn't really ask for more. But that's all I got for this episode of Brewers Digest. No game today. Unfortunately, it is that Thursday where most teams don't play, but the brewers will be back in action still at home against the Colorado Rockies on Friday. That first pitch is earlier because of the fun game that is happening afterwards. So that actually could be a pretty fun one to attend. If any of you watching are attending it, don't forget that is a 3-10 first pitch despite the game being on a Friday. But the brewers, they're heating up. They continue to play very good baseball, hoping Yelich can keep it going in the leadoff spot, hoping Henderson can continue to dominate. Same goes for McGill. Same goes for everyone representing the baseball team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Feel free to leave comments down below. Your thoughts on the video, your thoughts on the brewers. I love to read all of those. But as always, go brew crew, hoping for more wins in the future.