3 Brewers Players Who Have a Make-or-Break Season Ahead in 2020

As a team, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a make-or-break situation for 2020. After signing Christian Yelich to a nine-year extension in the offseason, the Brewers are now tasked with surrounding him with a contending team during his prime.

The NL Central is wide open in 2020, but who knows how long that will last. While the Brewers as a team are in a critical period, several individuals on their roster also need big performances this year. Those performances will decide their starting roles or future value, as well as the Brewers' World Series chances.

1. Justin Smoak

Justin Smoak was signed by the Brewers to a one-year deal in the offseason. / Norm Hall/Getty Images

The Brewers have continued their trend of cycling through first basemen by signing Justin Smoak over the offseason. After going through Jesus Aguilar, Eric Thames, and Travis Shaw over the past few years, the Brewers are now relying on Smoak, who hit a paltry .208/.342/.406 in 2019 for the Blue Jays. Smoak, a former first-round selection, has been wildly inconsistent throughout his 10-year career. The Brewers will be hoping to play him against righties and platoon him with Ryan Braun, but it's clear that Smoak needs another good year to keep himself relevant past his age 33 season. He's on a short-term deal with a team option at the end of the 2020 season, and he could be looking for a new home if he falls flat this year.

2. Lorenzo Cain

Lorenzo Cain is searching for a rebound season after a dismal 2019. / Norm Hall/Getty Images

Lorenzo Cain was a huge factor in the Brewers' NLCS run in 2018, but he dropped off significantly in 2019. Cain's OPS dropped from .813 to .697 and he stole 12 fewer bases. Although Cain is under contract through 2022, he's turning 34 in 2020 and has a speed-reliant game that doesn't necessarily age well. His typically high batting average on balls in play (BABIP) dropped to a career-low of .301, and he doesn't have the power to make up for the lack of speed. Cain faces a big test in 2020 as he tries to maintain his spot at the top of the Brewers' order.

3. Avisaíl García

Avisaíl García was signed by the Brewers after a solid season in Tampa Bay. / Norm Hall/Getty Images

Avisaíl García will be hoping 2020 is the year that he finally has back-to-back above-average seasons. Thus far, García has alternated between good and bad years, with solid seasons in 2017 and 2019 and mediocre years in 2016 and 2018. García has great pop and had an isolated power (ISO) of .182 last season along with 20 homers. He strikes out a lot, but he's good against righties and lefties and showed off some speed with 10 steals last year. That was enough to get García a two-year deal, but he will want to make a good first impression in Milwaukee and become a full-time player.

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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.