The Milwaukee Brewers season is under way, and through 20 games they sport a respectable, although unspectacular, record of 13-9(Change as of Sunday night). They stand third in the National League Central behind both the overachieving Saint Louis Cardinals and the Alfonso Soriano-less Chicago Cubs. So while the season still remains far from over, enough games have been played to illustrate some noteworthy facts about the Brewers.

Through the first few weeks of the season the team is 11th in the National League in team average, hitting opposing hurlers at a paltry .245 average. No starter other than Jason Kendall remains above the .300 mark and the next closest is Corey Hart at .274; Bill Hall and Rickie Weeks both remain below the Mendoza line.

The 3-4-5 hitters, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Hart have a combined total of five homeruns through the first 20 games. No need to hit the panic button yet, which is good because most of the lineup would miss it anyways.

Eric Gagne, the Brewers biggest off-season acquisition, looks like a $10 million version of Derrick Turnbow and continues to blow saves at a frightening pace. In the 10 games he has appeared in, his earned run average stands at a Joe Borowski-like 8.31 and already has four blown saves. Again too early to panic, but for $10 million he is making, the Crew expected better than a 60 percent save conversation rate.

The back end of the starting rotation also continues to struggle with Carlos Villanueva, Manny Parra and Dave Bush going a combined 2-6 with a 5.84 era. The return of Yovani Gallardo will at least mitigate that but for the team to fully realize the lofty expectations placed on them for 2008, at least two of those three needs to pitch better.

As good as Ben Sheets has been so far in 2008, even he cannot win games sitting in the trainer’s room. The team slumped badly last year without their ace and everyone knows that Sheets needs to remain healthy to a mount a serious post-season run. The sooner he returns to the mound the better it will be for the Milwaukee Brewers; when he pitches he is one of the best pitchers in the majors.

The Crew stands four games over .500 and well within striking distance of the NL Central crown. When the team begins to play like it eventually will, then something will definitely be brewing.

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