Milwaukee Brewers: Stock up, stock down

Christian Yelich, outfield: After struggling over the past three seasons in Milwaukee partly due to injury trouble, Yelich is having a bounce-back season in 2023. The 2018 National League MVP has been able to use his legs more on the basepaths with 21 stolen bases, Yelich is slashing .286/.380/.450 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI while hitting out of the leadoff spot for the Brewers.

Over his last 15 games, Yelich has really found his groove putting up a .350/.443/.533 slash line. While the production is far from his 2018 and 2019 seasons where he put up a .327 average with 80 home runs, 207 RBI and 52 stolen bases over 277 games played.

With five years left on his contract, the Brewers have to be happy to see the former MVP starting to look like an elite hitter once again.

Stock down

Corbin Burnes, pitcher: Bursting onto the scene in the covid-shortened 2020 season, Burnes has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball over the past three seasons that includes a Cy Young award in 2021. 

From 2020-2022 Burnes went 27-14 with a 2.62 ERA while striking out 565 batters in 428.2 innings pitched. In 2023 Burnes has struggled, with a 6-5 record and a 4.00 ERA  he has lacked the ability to strike out opposing batters. With a K/9 of 11.9 since 2020, Burnes is currently sitting at 8.53 in 2023.

With Burnes due for arbitration again after this season and with all the drama from the last hearing, we could see Burnes wearing another jersey before next season starts.

With plenty of starts left to make, the Brewers will bank on Burnes being able to return to Cy Young form in the second half. 

Jesse Winker, designated hitter: A 2021 All-Star for the Reds, Winker was acquired in an offseason trade with the Seattle Mariners after struggling through his only season with the club.

In his first season as a member of the Brewers, he has been even worse than last season. Currently slashing .201/.318/.257 with one home run and 21 RBI in 52 games, compared to the .288/.385/.504 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI he averaged in his five seasons with the Reds.

Injury prone throughout his career, Winker has only played over 115 games in a season once in his six seasons and has seen his strikeouts increase in every season he has been in the MLB excluding the shortened 2020 season.

An unrestricted free agent after this season, Winker has seen his stock fall to its lowest possible point and he will need to spend the second half trying to give the Brewers and other clubs a reason to give him a look this offseason.