The Pirates will face the Brewers in a three-game series that begins Friday night in Milwaukee. Here are some things to know about the NL Central rival.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is struggling so far — The former Gold Glove winner and All-Star with Boston was the biggest name to join the roster this offseason. He signed a two-year deal for up to $24 million in March, though he can opt out after the first year. So far, it’s looking like he may not want to do that. He’s hitting a dreadful .154 with a paltry .503 OPS and just a single homer. The good news for Milwaukee is that he is coming off one of his better seasons with Boston, in which he posted an .814 OPS, his best since making the All-Star team back in 2016. And he’s not finished with an OPS worse than .717 since 2014, when he was in just his first full season with the Red Sox. A bounce-back seems likely. The Pirates just need to hope it doesn’t begin during their stay.
Christian Yelich may be returning to form — The 2018 NL MVP simply did not have it last season, when he hit just .205 and collected just 19 extra-base hits. Fortunately for the Brewers, his start to 2021 is making that look like a pandemic-shortened blip on the proverbial radar screen. In his first 30 at-bats this season, he’s hitting a robust .333 with a stellar .459 on-base percentage. Those numbers are far more in line with his All-Star seasons in ’18 and ’19, though he is still looking for his power stroke. His double on April 7 against St. Louis remains his only extra-base hit so far, so the Brewers would certainly like to see more in that department after he hit 36 and 44 homers in the two seasons before the pandemic, which earned him a contract extension through 2029.
The starters have been solid — The rotation was this team’s biggest question mark at the beginning of the season, as Brandon Woodruff was the only member with a recent track record of consistent success. So far, however, the group has been this team’s biggest strength. Corbin Burnes has been sensational, following up a small sample size of 2020 success with a 0.49 ERA and 30 strikeouts through his first three starts. Freddy Peralta has been right there with him, posting a 0.69 ERA and 24 strikeouts in just 13 innings. And Adria Houser has a 1.80 ERA through two turns. Only veteran Brett Anderson has an ERA over 2.12, so the Pirates are likely happy they’ll draw him Saturday night in between turns for Houser and Peralta.
Miller Park is no more — The stadium that’s become a house of horrors for the Pirates over the years has a new name. The building was dubbed American Family Field on Jan. 1 after a new naming rights deal was struck with the insurance firm that’s based in nearby Madison.
Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.
First Published: April 16, 2021, 4:36 p.m.
