The Milwaukee Brewers keep stacking wins, but the All-Star news over the weekend still left plenty of people doing a double take.
After taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks and improving to 55-33, Milwaukee heads to St. Louis for a five-game series in four days against the Cardinals.
The Brewers also learned that Jacob Misiorowski and William Contreras were named to the National League All-Star roster. Both selections make sense.
Still, with the Brewers owning the second-best record in Major League Baseball, the fact that they have only two All-Stars has sparked plenty of questions.
That’s where Brice Turang and Kyle Harrison enter the conversation.
Every All-Star season comes with a few obvious omissions, and sometimes the players left out have a stronger case than the ones who made it. In this case, the answer on Turang and Harrison looks like a clear yes.
Turang’s numbers stack up especially well against Ozzie Albies, who was voted in as the starter. Albies is hitting .271/.322/.445 with 14 home runs, 49 RBI, and three stolen bases, along with a 1.8 WAR.
Turang is at .268/.363/.457 with 12 home runs, 51 RBI, and 13 stolen bases, and his 3.5 WAR gives him a much stronger overall case. By that measure, the Brewers second baseman has been nearly twice as valuable.
Harrison’s argument is a little messier, mostly because of a couple of rough outings and the fact that he doesn’t often work deep into games. Even so, his line is hard to ignore: 8-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Compare that with Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who made the NL All-Star team at 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, and the snub becomes easier to see.
The good news for both players is that the door is still open. All-Star rosters change every year when players drop out for various reasons, and replacements are added. Turang and Harrison still have a path in.
If that happens, it would be hard to argue they didn’t earn it.
In Other News...
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The problem is that the approach has not paid off nearly enough. Snchez has piled up more lost challenges than anyone else in the league, and he is responsible for a huge share of Milwaukees hitter challenges, which can matter when a team needs to save those chances for the biggest moments. The Brewers can live with an aggressive edge from a player producing offensively, but they could use a little more selectivity if they want those challenges to count when it really matters. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Chourio Had Brewers Fans Doing A Double Take Late
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It was the kind of odd, late-night wrinkle that can only happen in a marathon game, and both Chourio and manager Pat Murphy seemed to enjoy the novelty of it. Murphy noted how unusual the swing was, while the whole scene fit the feel of an extra-inning game that had already drifted well beyond the ordinary. [Read more 🡒]
One Brewers Bat Is Suddenly Looking Like Tonights Power Play
Jackson Chourio has been one of the Brewers most intriguing power bets lately, and the case for him on July 8 starts with how often the ball has been leaving his bat. He has 13 home runs in 57 games, and the recent surge has only sharpened the attention around him as Milwaukee keeps looking for middle-order thump that can change a game in one swing.
The matchup only adds to the appeal, with the Brewers facing the Cardinals and right-hander Michael McGreevy, who has already given up 13 homers in 17 appearances. Chourios success against right-handed pitching has been part of the conversation too, which is why he stands out in this spot even if the final result is still the kind of thing that can turn on one well-placed pitch. [Read more 🡒]