Can the Brewers Survive Without Ryan Braun?

The Brewers knew they were going to loser Prince Fielder, but at least they were prepared for that. They probably didn’t think they would be without NL MVP Ryan Braun for 50 games. Milwaukee fans were shocked when they found out that Ryan had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. However, they were probably irate when they found out he might miss the first 50 games of the season.

It’s true that the baseball season is a long one, with a total of 162 games and that’s just the regular season. But 50 games is still a huge blow! Especially when you consider the value of a player like Ryan Braun. He had a WAR of 7.8 last season, OBP of .397, drove in 111 RBIs and crossed the plate 109 times. For those who don’t follow baseball; that means he is a very valuable player. The kind of player you need to play 150+ games every season to maximize your chance of making the playoffs.

Ryan Braun will be lucky to even play 100 games this season if he does indeed receive a 50 game suspension. Such a big blow to a team who was riding so high at the end of last season. But, now the party is over, the house is a mess and your parents are coming home in 30 minutes. What do you do? Pray.

The Brewers will have most of their pitchers coming back this season and they will be counting on them to improve on last season. Their pitchers must come up big if they want to have any shot at going back to the playoffs. If their starting pitching throws anything like they did in the playoffs…then the Brewers can kiss the playoffs goodbye. So, the simple answer: they need great pitching all season long.

P.S. If you’re into bribery, you could send some chocolates to Shyam Das. He is the guy who can make the 50 game suspension disappear for Ryan Braun.