Countdown to Opening Day: #19 Milwaukee Brewers

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#19: Milwaukee Brewers: Braun back with something to prove

PROJECTED LINEUP
SS Jean Segura
2B Scooter Gennett
RF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis Ramirez
C Jonathan Lucroy
CF Carlos Gomez
LF Khris Davis
3B Juan Francisco

PROJECTED ROTATION
Yovani Gallardo
Matt Garza
Kyle Lohse
Wily Peralta
Marco Estrada

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Jim Henderson

Set-up: Brandon Kintzler

Top Prospect: Tyrone Taylor (OF)

The Brewers are not going anywhere without Ryan Braun. That's the bottom line. When healthy and not suspended Braun is the best player in the National League. But no one really knows how he will come back

Ryan Braun

from that long PED suspension, not to mention the nerve damage he suffered in his hand last season.
Braun has a chance to bolster a strong lineup with breakout stars such as Jean Segura, Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy. But the Brewers went out and added Matt Garza to a rotation that desperately needed one more reliable arm and that is the bigger reason why they have a chance to contend.
When Garza is healthy he is a top-of-the-rotation arm, but that is the key - health. Garza combined with Yovani Gallardo is a strong enough 1-2 punch to contend. Also Wily Peralta has a chance to breakout. He had a 2.13 ERA in July and finished strong down the stretch, giving up thee runs or fewer in 8 of his last nine starts. The Brew Crew are in a stacked division but have a chance to surprise if they can stay healthy this summer.

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - How quickly people forget about the PED problem once Braun starts bashing and the Crew starts winning. Yovani Gallardo rebounds from his first season with an ERA over 4 and Milwaukee ends up with one of the more balanced teams in the league. A deep lineup, strong pitching, and some of gold gloves up the middle in Segura, Gomez, and Rickie Week's replacement, Scooter Gennett.

REAL TALK - Chances they shock the world and win 20 more games than they did a season ago are

Matt Garza

unlikely, but 84 wins would not be that unbelievable. They had made improvements in the off-season and with Braun back they are clearly a better team. I still think there are better teams in the National League, three in their own division, but they should be in the race until September.

Breakout: Scooter Gennett (2B)

Bust: Carlos Gomez (OF)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Wily Peralta (RHP)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 74-88 (4th in NL Central)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 80-82 (4th in NL Central)

**Check back tomorrow for the Seattle Mariners*