2005 Milwaukee Brewers Preview

Milwaukee Brewers Preview & Prediction

ABOUT BASEBALL breaks down & previews the 2005 Milwaukee Brewers.

2004 Record: 67-94, last place in NL Central
Home Ballpark: Miller Park
Manager: Ned Yost

2005 Prediction: 74-88, fifth place in NL Central

ADDITIONS: RP - Ricky Bottalico, RP - Jose Capellan, OF - Carlos Lee, RP - Justin Lehr, C - Damian Miller

SUBTRACTIONS: C - Gary Bennett, SS - Craig Counsell, C - Keith Ginter, RP - Dan Kolb, OF - Scott Podsednik, RP - Luis Vizcaino

LINEUP: Brady Clark (CF), Junior Spivey (2B), Lyle Overbay (1B), Carlos Lee (LF), Geoff Jenkins (RF), Russ Branyan (3B), Damian Miller (C), J.J. Hardy (SS)

ROTATION: Ben Sheets (RHP), Doug Davis (LHP), Chris Capuano (LHP), Victor Santos (RHP), Jose Capellan (RHP)

CLOSER: Mike Adams (RHP)

OUTLOOK: The player to watch is newly-acquired outfielder Lee, who solidifies the middle of Milwaukee's lineup.

Overbay, Lee and Jenkins are a formidable trio, but the rest of the lineup is made up of no-names. Miller, the starting catcher, plays great defense, but the pithing after the phenomenal Sheets, is suspect. The Brew Crew is still not ready to contend, but six to eight more wins and a fifth-place finish are possible.