'Quite the rodeo': Milwaukee Brewers off to torrid start despite slew of injuries

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is standing alongside the other screaming 32,314 fans Friday, and can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.

So, he pulls out his cell phone and acts like a kid, recording the Brewers’ thrilling, 7-6, 11-inning walk-off victory over the New York Yankees at American Family Field.

“I’ve never seen anything like this," Attanasio says. “Nobody wants to leave. Look, nobody wants to leave!’’

Welcome to Milwaukee, where the Brewers have been baseball’s Little Engine that Could.

This is a locomotive where the engine is wheezing, the hydraulics are leaking and the wheels are rickety but here they are, with the third-best record in baseball (17-8) entering Saturday, better than the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.

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“We’re trying to hold everything together," Brewers GM Matt Arnold tells USA TODAY Sports, “with duct tape.’’

Since the Brewers were last on the national stage in October during the postseason, they lost their manager (Craig Counsell) to their hated rivals in Chicago, traded their Cy Young winner (Corbin Burnes) to the Orioles, lost their All-Star closer (Devin Williams) for the first half with multiple stress fractures in his back, and had nine total pitchers go on the injured list.

“It’s been quite the rodeo,’’ Arnold says.

No matter, they are leading the National League Central, trying to win their third division title in four years and make a their sixth postseason appearance in seven years.

“It’s amazing what they’re doing," says Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who was Counsell’s bench coach for nine years. “We lose three of our starters from last year, lose three of our new starters, so we’re filling in with guys that we had no idea would even be in the big leagues. That’s a challenge.

“But here we are, the smallest market in baseball, and we’re hanging in there.

“It’s borderline amazing."

The Brewers, who had won seven of their last nine games entering Saturday, haven’t been blown out of a game all year. They’ve had at least the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning in their losses, and remain undefeated when leading after eight innings despite not having Williams.

“What I’m excited about is that these guys compete," Murphy says, “night after night. They’ve been unbelievable."

And catcher William Contreras, well, he has been nothing short of incredible.

The little brother of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, William had no role with Atlanta once they traded for Sean Murphy, and now is making everyone forget all about the Josh Hader trade that turned the Brewers clubhouse upside down in 2022.

The Brewers acquired Contreras, reliever Joel Payamps, and minor-league pitching prospect Justin Yeager in a three-way trade with Atlanta and the Oakland A’s in December 2022. The cost was speedy outfielder Esteury Ruiz, one of the top prospects they acquired four months earlier from the San Diego Padres in the Hader trade.

Fast forward: Contreras has emerged as one of the game’s premier catchers and is under team control until 2028; Payamps has been invaluable in the back end of their bullpen; Ruiz was demoted and recently called up by the A’s, hitting .269 with two homers and two stolen bases; and Hader has badly struggled this season after signing a five-year, $95 million contract with the Astros (0-2, 8.38 ERA).

“Those are the type of deals we understand that are tough to make," Arnold says. “Any time you give up good players off good teams, it’s challenging. We never had any thought of a rebuild, but you have to make some difficult decisions in order to maintain a high-caliber team, hopefully for many years to come."

Contreras not only is the MVP of the Brewers, but one of the finest players in the National League. He has played every single game – all but four as a catcher – hitting .356 with a 1.000 OPS and 22 RBI while guiding this pitching staff along the way. He’s in the top five of eight offensive categories in the National League.

“This kid is a special breed," Murphy says. “You don’t find this breed out there. He has great instincts to the game. He wants to play every day. The pitchers love throwing to him.

“He doesn’t have a warm and fuzziness to him to make friends and influence people.

“He just wants to compete and beat your every single game."

Contreras, who said he felt a bit uncomfortable last year trying to learn a new pitching staff with new teammates, says this year is completely different. He’s relaxed, confident, and feels ready to be a team leader.

“It was a little bit hard last year," Contreras says, “but I’ve studied a lot. We have so many new pitchers I’ve got to go with their strengths, and help them adjust to the big leagues. It’s a challenge, but one I like."

Says Arnold: “He was a quiet kid when we first got him, but he’s grown into his own and has such a great feel and awareness of game. He’s so well respected by the players and everybody cares about him. He’s really developed into a leader on this team and is a catalyst for the success we’ve had.

“He deserves all of the credit with the way he’s worked on both sides of the ball and prepares our pitching staff to flourish. I can’t say enough about him. He’s one of the strongest players I’ve ever been around, honestly, and he’s tough, he just never wants to come out of the lineup."

The Brewers, who only twice have lost back-to-back games, know there will be rough times ahead. They have only two healthy starters from their opening-day rotation in Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea. Only once has a starter pitched into the seventh inning.

They are trying to piecemeal a rotation with Joe Ross, who missed the last two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery; Bryse Wilson, who opened the season in the bullpen; and Tobias Myers, who made his major-league debut Tuesday.

Oh, and if they didn’t have enough pitching injuries, they also are without former MVP and two-time batting champion Christian Yelich (strained back) and outfielder Garrett Mitchell (broken finger).

“It’s almost like we’ll have our own little trade deadline when all of these kids get healthy," Arnold says. "It’s certainly been a test for us, but every year has its new challenges.

“It’s hard when you’re in the smallest market and there are such big differences in payroll, but no excuses, we have plenty of resources here to compete.

“We just have to do some unpopular things sometimes to sustain that success."

And sometimes – well, a lot of the time – those decisions seem to work out just fine in Milwaukee.

Around the basepaths

– While Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto attracted one of the fiercest bidding wars in decades and free agent pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery commanded the headlines, easily the best free-agent pitching acquisition so far has been Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs.

He has been phenomenal, going 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 27⅔ innings, yielding a .181 batting average. He’s the first starter since Dave Ferriss in 1945 to win at least four of his first five career games with a sub-1.00 ERA.

The dude has been an absolute steal so far for the Cubs, receiving a guaranteed $53 million over four years, paying him just $10 million this year and $13 million in 2025.

Imanaga has an opt-out after the 2025 season, but the Cubs also have the right to give him a three-year, $57 million extension after 2025, which would pay him $20 million in 2026, $20 million in 2027 and $17 million in 2028.

The finalists, along with the Cubs, for his services: the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox actually had a chance to match the Cubs’ offer after originally offering a two-year, $26 million contract, according to the Boston Globe, but declined.

You think those teams and a few dozen more are kicking themselves now?

– It was the constant media criticism and interference from the Astros’ analytics department that ultimately led Dusty Baker to retire as manager after last season.

Well, after enduring their worst start in 55 years, the Astros now are recognizing just how much they miss the future Hall of Famer. Baker was a master with a calming influence when times were rough, leading the Astros to the American League Championship Series in each of his four seasons with a World Series title and two AL pennants.

The Astros sure could use his influence now.

The Astros have already lost 19 of their first 27 games. Under Baker, the Astros never had a losing record once they lost their 20^th game of the season, going 21-20 in 2020, 26-20 in 2021, 35-20 in 2022 and 28-20 last season.

Meanwhile, Baker is in San Francisco as special assistant to the Giants, recently receiving Baseball Digest’s Lifetime Achievement award.

– All you need to know about the gross defects of relying solely on WAR as a statistical tool is that Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Gallo actually has a higher WAR this season than Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Gallo, 0.2 WAR: .122 with a .597 OPS and a major-league leading 43 strikeouts in 87 plate appearances.

Freeman, 0.1 WAR: .304 with a .836 OPS, and 22 strikeouts in 121 plate appearances.

Then again, WAR will tell you that Jason Giambi’s career (50.5 WAR) was nearly as good as Hall of Famer David Ortiz's (55.3 WAR).

If the Yankees had Ortiz instead of Giambi from 2002 to 2008, they might have won more than zero World Series.

And if the Red Sox had Giambi instead of Ortiz, well, we might still be talking about the Curse of the Bambino.

– Hey, you want honesty, meet veteran outfielder Tommy Pham.

Pham was asked by reporters his first day with the Chicago White Sox why he chose to sign there.

Was it the opportunity to be an everyday player instead of just a couple of times a week like the Phillies wanted?

Was it being able to live and play in beautiful Chicago?

Nope.

“Just came down to one,’’ he told reporters. “The economics."

He nearly signed with the San Diego Padres, but when they didn’t increase their offer, he signed a prorated $3 million deal with the White Sox that includes a $500,000 bonus if they trade him, as expected, at the July deadline.

Don’t be surprised if the Padres try to deal for him ahead of the July 30 deadline.

– Tough to see perhaps the end of the line for Brewers starter Wade Miley, who will undergo Tommy John surgery at the age of 37.

While he acknowledged before the diagnosis that he would definitely retire if he needed surgery, he says he’ll now delay making a decision until he’s recovered in 2025 or 2026.

– MLB scouts and executives say the talent difference between MLB and Triple-A is the largest they can remember, which was exposed a bit when Orioles rookie Jackson Holliday hit .059 and struck out 18 times in 36 plate appearances before being sent down.

“This game up here, people attack your weaknesses," Orioles GM Mike Elias said, “until you stop showing them to be weaknesses.’’

Now that Holliday is back in the minors, he won’t be eligible to receive a full year of major-league service unless he finishes first or second in the Rookie of the Year balloting, delaying his free agency until after the 2030 season.

– The White Sox are beyond frustrated and angry with their record-setting 3-22 start, but insist that manager Pedro Grifol’s job is safe for now.

If nothing else, no one is blaming Hall of Famer Tony La Russa any longer for the White Sox’s woes.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m oblivious to our record and oblivious to things," Grifol told reporters when asked about his job security, “because I’m not. At the same time, I’m not going to concern myself with that."

– Considering that Giants starter Blake Snell (0-3, 11.57 ERA) is now out for several weeks with a strained adductor muscle, he’s going to need a sensational final four months if he still plans to opt out of his contract. He’s scheduled to earn $30 million in 2025.

– Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, the most exciting young player in the game, is having an April to remember, hitting .299 with seven home runs and 17 stolen bases. He has more stolen bases than 16 entire MLB teams.

The only player with at least seven homers and 17 stolen bases in a single month is Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who had seven homers and 20 stolen bases in May 1986.

– So, just how deep and talented is Atlanta?

All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies went on the injured list with a broken toe and Atlanta still went 7-1 without him.

Atlanta entered Saturday with basball’s best record, 18-6, having played 20 games against four of last year’s postseason teams: the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Astros and Rangers.

They went 10-2 in those games, and those two losses were by a combined three runs.

– Kudos to MLB for making the schedule change two years ago where every team plays in a city at least once every two years.

It’s ridiculous that the Astros had not played at Wrigley Field since 2013 until this week while the Cubs had not played at Fenway Park since 2017.

– One of the coolest auction items by the MLB umpires’ charity is an autographed baseball from the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully. Bids must be in by Wednesday, May 1, and there’s zero chance the current bid of $475 will get that baseball.

– The San Diego Padres are elated with the performance by Dylan Cease this season, who has been their ace with a 3-1 record and 1.82 ERA, while becoming the first pitcher in Coors Field history to complete at least seven innings while allowing no more than one hit and no walks.

Yet, there is growing concern about veterans Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove and their diminished velocity. Darvish, 37, who’s on the IL for the fifth time in the last four years, is 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts while Musgrove, 31, is 3-3 with a 6.94 ERA.

–Remember when Atlanta slugger Marcell Ozuna’s four-year, $64 million contract looked like one of the worst in baseball, particularly after hitting .085 with a .397 OPS last April?

Ozuna entered Saturday hitting .344 and ranked second in the league in slugging percentage (.677) and third in OPS (1.096). Why, since May 1, Ozuna leads the majors with 129 RBI in 150 games and is tied for second with 47 homers.

Atlanta, who at one point couldn’t wait to be rid of his contract, now can’t wait to pick up that $16 million option in 2025.

– Mariners starter Logan Gilbert is 2-0 with a 1.87 ERA in five starts, while holding hitters to a .161/.214/.297 slash line.

The most remarkable stat about Gilbert?

He is 31-0 in starts in which his teammates score at least three runs while he’s in the game.

– Minnesota Twins infielder Kyle Farmer, who’s in a miserable slump to open the season (.064, .285 OPS), says his struggles have been so intense that his grandmother is now sending him Bible verses after every game.

But since grandma’s prayers have yet to work, he has resorted to desperate measures, he told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

“I've showered in my uniform. I've worn my sliders (protective baseball underwear) inside-out. I've changed socks every day. I've prayed to Jesus, prayed to the baseball gods, and they still haven't answered me yet.

“If you tell me to wear my jock strap upside-down on my nose, I might do it.’’

– While everyone in New York is wondering whether the Yankees will keep pending free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, they may want to spend some time focusing on closer Clay Holmes.

Holmes has been lights out, saving nine games this year and has yet to give up a single run in 13 innings.

– Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he still loves the game of baseball and wants to come to Surprise, Ariz., next spring to practice a few days with the Kansas City Royals.

“We’d love to have him come down," Royals GM J.J. Picollo told the Kansas City Star. “Problem is, when we’re in spring training, he’s out celebrating Super Bowls.’’

– Just when you thought the Orioles couldn’t get any more dangerous, starters John Means and Kyle Bradish are ready to return to the rotation while Tyler Wells is expected to soon resume throwing, giving the Orioles eight legitimate starters with Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Cole Irvin and Albert Suarez.

– Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, last year’s NL Rookie of the Year, has badly struggled was demoted to seventh in the lineup. He’s hitting just .202 with a .566 OPS and only three extra-base hits. His .253 slugging percentage is his worst in a 24-game span.

Still, scouts say they really haven’t noticed anything drastically different in his approach and say it’s foolish for anyone to be alarmed.

– So much for warm and fuzzy family gatherings at the Boone household.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone watched Oakland A’s shortstop Nick Allen, who’s married to his niece, homer against him while Tyler Nevin, the son of close family friend Phil Nevin, also homered in the A’s 3-1 victory over the Yankees this week.

– The Cleveland Guardians are off to their best start in franchise history, 18-8, and a lot of the credit is going to their clubhouse culture, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, particularly veteran catcher Austin Hedges.

“I think the biggest thing is Austin," outfielder Steven Kwan told the paper. “I think it's oversimplified, but when he's around saying dumb things, people aren't afraid to say dumb things. I think last year, everybody was kind of hush-hush, quiet. Everybody just wanted to be really professional, but when you got a goofball doing it, everybody's personality is allowed to blossom."

– Don’t look now but there are those Toronto Blue Jays underachieving again. They have now failed to score more than five runs in 18 consecutive games, their longest streak in 16 years.

– The hits keep coming for the Miami Marlins, who are now without four of their five starters with Jesus Luzardo now sidelined because of an elbow injury. They already are without ace Sandy Alcantara and prized prospect Eury Perez, who underwent Tommy John surgery. And Braxton Garrett hasn’t pitched this season because of shoulder problems.

– Shohei Ohtani, who’s projected to earn $65 million in endorsements this season, just signed a long-term contract with Rapsodo to be their new technology ambassador.

No word on how much deferred money is involved with $68 million of his $70 million annual salary with the Dodgers deferred for 10 years.

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