There were many different assessments of the Milwaukee Brewers 2006 season, but the majority of them fell somewhere in between “small disappointment” and “unmitigated disaster.”  After a 2005 season that saw Milwaukee reach .500 for the first time in 14 years, the Brew Crew entered 2006 as a trendy pick to make the playoffs.

What followed was not the season the Brewers had in mind.  The team’s ace, Ben Sheets, went on the DL before the season even started, and he would make a second trip before the season ended.  Second basemen Rickie Weeks failed to have the breakout season many expected, and closer Derrick Turnbow morphed into arguably the worst reliever in the National League.  The result was a 75-87 record and a 4th place finish in the mediocre NL Central.

This season a returning nucleus of young hitters and the addition of an NLCS hero have the Brewers thinking playoffs once again.  Even with a stronger supporting cast, Sheets’ return to his Cy Young form of 2004-2005 will be the key if Brewers are finally able to break through to the postseason.

During those 2004-2005 seasons Sheets had an ERA of 2.95, a WHIP under 1.1, and struck out more than a batter per inning.  His dominance over those two years was punctuated by an 18-strikeout game against the Braves in May of 2004.  While Sheets was not entirely unproductive last season, injuries limited to him to just 17 starts and his ERA jumped to 3.82.  This season the Brewers playoff hopes rest on Sheets returning to his place as one of few legitimate #1 starters in baseball.

Sheets will be joined in the rotation by Jeff Suppan, the Brewers lone major free agent acquisition.  Although the 31 year-old Suppan has long been considered a journeyman (something his 4.60 career ERA and seven major league teams would indicate is true), the Brewers were so impressed by his postseason performance with the Cardinals (2.13 ERA) they handed him a four-year, $42 million contract.  The team will be satisfied if Suppan can give them 10-15 wins, eat 200 innings, and impart some wisdom on the Brewers younger pitchers.

Chris Capuano and David Bush will fill the other two spots in the Brewers rotation that are set going into season.  Capuano is one of the best, but least known, young left-handers in the game.  Each of the last two seasons he has thrown at least 219 innings and had an ERA under 4.03.  Bush, a 26 year-old right hander, went 12-11 with a 4.49 ERA last year, but showed his potential by tossing two complete-game shutouts.  The trio of Sheets, Capuano, and Bush head into the season brimming with two things—uncertainty, and potential greatness.

The Brewers lineup also has potential greatness—most of it packed into first baseman Prince Fielder’s 6 ft. 262 lb frame.  Fielder burst onto the scene last year as a 21-year-old rookie, batting .335 through the first two months of the season.  He hit only .244 the rest of the way, but Big Cecil’s son would finish the season with very respectable numbers for such an unpolished rookie (.271 avg., 28 HRs).  Fielder will need to improve on those numbers this year in order to carry a Brewers lineup that returns no hitters who hit above .285 last year.