Brewers Off to a Good Start Behind the Hot Bat of Eric Thames

Last year, Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman Chris Carter led the National League with 41 home runs, but the club did not offer him a contract for 2017. Carter signed with the New York Yankees, and Milwaukee decided to go with Eric Thames, a former major leaguer who had played in South Korea for the previous three seasons.

So far, it looks like a good move by Milwaukee. Thames hit a home run in the Brewers game vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on April 17th. It was the fifth consecutive game that Thames has homered in, tying the franchise record set in 1997 by Jeromy Burnitz. The Brewers won 6-3, and have won seven of 10 games.

Through April 17th, Thames is hitting .405 with seven homers and 12 RBIs, with an OPS of 1.479. In New York, Carter is hitting .160 with no homers and three RBIs. Thames will come back down to earth, but his bat should still be a potent force in the rebuilding Brewers lineup.