After looking at the rotation and starting position players, today I'll see how a bunch of possible bench players project.

The rest of the projections and conclusions are after the jump.

Damian Miller:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	226	57	15	1	5	23	54	2	0	0	.253	.327	.396
ZiPS	295	73	21	0	5	28	74	4	0	1	.247	.319	.369
CHONE	344	83	21	1	7	35	85	3	0	0	.242	.319	.372

Mike Rivera:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	264	64	13	1	9	15	52	3	1	1	.242	.289	.401
ZiPS	255	62	12	0	10	15	49	2	2	1	.243	.288	.408
CHONE	318	79	15	1	12	19	63	4	2	2	.248	.299	.416

JD Closser:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	282	70	16	1	7	33	55	2	4	2	.249	.330	.392
ZiPS	329	80	17	1	8	36	62	3	3	1	.243	.321	.374
CHONE	300	73	15	1	8	35	60	2	3	2	.242	.325	.377

It's creepy how similar Miller's and Closser's projections are. Obviously, Miller is going to be the backup, at least until he gets injured in mid-April, but at least the Brewers have two other relatively capable backups.

Ryan Braun:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	518	147	35	5	23	42	115	6	19	7	.283	.341	.504
ZiPS	427	112	27	2	15	33	101	5	16	5	.262	.321	.440
CHONE	379	98	23	2	13	27	90	4	15	3	.257	.314	.433

If he can hit anything like these projections, in particular the PECOTA one, he should be playing over Tony Graffanino right now. I'm starting to notice a trend of PECOTA regularly provided the highest--and, in cases like Braun and Corey Hart, far and away the highest--projection.

Corey Koskie:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	264	68	16	1	11	33	60	3	3	1	.258	.345	.455
ZiPS	297	73	19	0	12	37	69	7	2	1	.246	.340	.431
CHONE	343	82	18	1	14	43	86	6	4	2	.238	.333	.416

Who knows at this point? His health would be the most important question to the team were it not for Braun looming on the horizon.

Vinny Rottino:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	430	109	22	2	8	29	75	3	7	3	.253	.304	.372
ZiPS	427	113	20	2	6	33	79	4	4	4	.265	.321	.363
CHONE	431	111	21	2	7	34	80	3	7	4	.256	.315	.363

I've only included Vinny's projections because it is somewhat conceivable that he'll make the team as a backup corner infielder if Koskie isn't ready, Braun goes to AAA and the team isn't comfortable with either Counsell backing up three positions or Hall possibly moving back to the infield in the event of an injury to Graffanino.

Craig Counsell:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	269	69	12	3	2	29	38	4	10	4	.258	.339	.355
ZiPS	459	115	23	3	4	56	65	7	18	5	.251	.338	.340
CHONE	433	107	21	3	5	48	64	7	14	6	.247	.332	.343

Callix Crabbe:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	474	122	23	4	3	54	61	4	27	8	.257	.337	.342
ZiPS	462	107	21	1	4	57	67	5	15	10	.232	.320	.307
CHONE	451	105	20	3	4	55	69	4	22	8	.232	.320	.313

There's a reason Callix Crabbe, erstwhile middle infield prospect, won't be backing up for the Brewers for a few hundred grand this year while Craig Counsell will be and will make three million doing it, but I'm not sure what that reason is. You may argue that Counsell plays solid defense, which is true, but Crabbe also appears to be a good defender.

Okay, I know: no team in baseball would designate a guy like Crabbe, who hasn't even played at AAA, as their backup infielder, especially behind two fragile starters like Hardy and Weeks. But, uh, Craig Counsell is not good.

Brady Clark:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	285	77	13	1	6	29	39	5	4	3	.270	.346	.386
ZiPS	368	100	16	1	5	37	50	18	5	5	.272	.364	.361
CHONE	460	119	20	2	8	48	64	13	7	6	.259	.345	.360

Gabe Gross:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	184	48	11	1	7	26	44	2	3	1	.263	.357	.448
ZiPS	418	111	27	2	10	51	100	4	7	2	.266	.348	.411
CHONE	371	94	22	2	10	51	90	2	5	2	.253	.347	.401

Tony Gwynn Jr:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	462	118	21	6	5	43	81	3	22	8	.255	.320	.355
ZiPS	553	136	24	4	3	50	104	4	26	14	.246	.310	.320
CHONE	245	63	12	3	2	26	42	2	13	6	.259	.336	.352

Laynce Nix:

Proj	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
PECOTA	420	109	23	4	16	26	116	4	4	2	.260	.307	.449
ZiPS	370	92	17	2	13	21	121	6	2	1	.249	.298	.411
CHONE	379	96	18	2	14	21	103	4	3	1	.253	.299	.428

Gabe Gross, as the only corner outfielder in the bunch, will obviously make the team. Tony Gwynn just doesn't look a whole lot like a ML-quality hitter, though his defense mitigates that somewhat. I'd still like to see him get a shot, but with Brady Clark--the Craig Counsell of the outfield--on this team, he won't. It's tough to know what the team thinks of Laynce Nix. Melvin obviously wanted him and he performed well in AAA, then sucked in Milwaukee and got hurt.

Center field is a pretty interesting situation for the Brewers. Regardless of how they view Nix, if there's not room for Gwynn, there's not room for him either. So do they both get sent to Nashville? Who starts? At least Dave Krynzel is gone.

Okay, so who makes the team? It depends on if Koskie is healthy and how many pitchers the team decides to carry. If they go with a 12-man pitching staff, that leaves 5 bench spots. Miller will be the backup catcher, Counsell the backup middle infielder, and Gross the backup corner outfielder regardless. Here's where it gets interesting: if Koskie is healthy, Graffanino takes a bench spot, leaving only one remaining spot for Mench/Jenkins and Clark.

Based on that, I forecast an 11-man pitching staff, in order to shoehorn both the Bench Brothers and their sidekick onto the roster. I'll look at the rest of that pitching staff tomorrow.