This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy's Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Here are 23 predictions for the Brewers in 2023. Some are serious, some aren’t. Don’t hold me to any of them.
1. One of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff or Willy Adames will sign a big extension before Opening Day.
2. Burnes will start Opening Day against the Cubs, but Woodruff will lead the team in innings.
3. The Bratwurst will shatter the single-season record for victories in the Sausage Race. On the final day of the season, he’ll dramatically remove the costume and reveal that he’s been David Stearns all along.
4. Aaron Ashby will be the primary setup man by September.
5. Christian Yelich will hit for the cycle against the Reds ... again.
6. Freddy Peralta will throw a no-hitter against the Rockies as part of a comeback season in which he makes 27 starts with a sub-3.00 ERA.
7. Jon Singleton will not only hit his first Major League home run since 2015, he’ll break Big Russ Branyan’s record for the longest home run in the history of Miller Park-turned-American Family Field. Branyan’s 480-footer off Greg Maddux on July 27, 2004, is the mark to beat.
8. The Barrelman will continue to haunt fans in section 217.
9. Garrett Mitchell will be the first Brewer since Paul Molitor in 1987 to steal three bases in one inning.
10. After finishing 10th last year, the Brewers will lead the Majors in stolen bases. Yelich will go all in for his new role as leadoff hitter and set the pace with 40.
11. Battling a slump, Rowdy Tellez will wear Hoby Milner’s uniform pants for a game and hit a homer.
12. Jesse Winker will make the National League All-Star team.
13. Devin Williams will struggle early as he adapts to MLB’s new pace of play regulations. But he will finish the season with more saves than Josh Hader.
14. The annual “breakout reliever no one saw coming” -- think Peter Strzelecki in 2022 -- will be Adam Seminaris.
15. Jackson Chourio will spend most of the season at Double-A and have a tough time replicating last season’s rocket trip. He’ll finish the year at Triple-A Nashville.
16. Brice Turang will lead Brewers rookies in plate appearances and hits.
17. Of utility infielders Keston Hiura, Mike Brosseau, Abraham Toro and Owen Miller, Hiura will get the most Major League plate appearances. Don’t ask me where he’ll play.
18. William Contreras will hit 30 home runs.
19. Manager Craig Counsell will get his first grey hair.
20. Burnes will go into his final start of the season needing 10 strikeouts to break Ben Sheets’ single-season club record, but finish two shy of the mark. Sheets, sitting in the owner’s seats, will stand and take a bow.
21. Stearns will be hired by another team before the end of 2023, but it won’t be the Mets or the Astros.
22. The NL Central finish will be: Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Reds. Which means ...
23. The Brewers will make the playoffs.