Round 2, Region 3: Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade Bracket

There were blowouts galore in Round 1 of the Hammonds Region, as even a pair of Milwaukee Brewers’ underdogs laid waste to their higher-seeded opponents in route to victory. That could be a sign this region is up for grabs in the “Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade” tournament.

Juan Francisco (9-seed) overpowered 8^th-seeded Marco Estrada by way of a 78%-22%. Meanwhile, Ron Roenicke, a sneaky Cinderella 10-seed in the Hammonds Region, destroyed Nyjer Morgan (7-seed) by a 66% margin of victory. Could either of these gentlemen find their way into the Sweet 16 and beyond?

Check out the round 2 matchups, vote for those you least liked, and share the fun with your friends!

#1 Jonathan Villar vs. #9 Juan Francisco

No surprise Villar sped past Hader in the opening round – like a 1-seed is supposed to do over a 16-seed. With strikeouts and bad base running being two big areas fans hate, Villar’s production there put him at the top. Francisco had plenty of his own issues with the bat and the glove – but many would argue, at least Villar had a good season in Milwaukee.

It would seem the top seed is still in control of his destiny for a Sweet 16 appearance, unless Francisco has some negative trait up his sleeve that voters lean on. Hard to see an upset here.

#4 Orlando Arcia vs. #5 Randy Wolf

Arcia garnered 76% of the votes in round 1 while Wolf collected 69% (nice). The second-round matchup between the two is sort of hard to analyze as their isn’t much similarity between the guys’ time in Milwaukee. Pitcher vs. hitter. Veteran for 2 years with Brewers vs. former top prospect with 4 underwhelming years in Milwaukee (and still just 25 years old).

Both contributed positively to their club’s respective runs to the NLCS, though one could argue who had a greater impact. Maybe you vote based on expectations of that player? Of position need or scarcity? Personality? This one could probably go either way as there were plenty of fans who liked (or still like) each.

#3 Alex Gonzalez vs. #6 Jett Bandy

Despite playing different positions, these two have some similarities – no offense, little speed, overrated defense. They also had nearly identical vote totals in their respective opening round matchups (1,337 to 1,328). Now they face off with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.

It seems Gonzalez took more harsh criticisms from fans – back then and now upon memory. That is likely because Gonzalez came in 2012, a team that still had high expectations after their NLCS Game 6 loss the year prior. Bandy first played with the Brewers in 2017 when many were just hoping for a winning season. Gonzalez likely has the “edge,” which is why we was seeded 3^rd to begin with.

#2 Wily Peralta vs. #10 Ron Roenicke

This is certainly the most intriguing 2^nd-round battle in the Hammonds Region. Peralta looked like the young, talented, cost effective rotation arm the Brewers could finally rely on – but it never happened outside of one season. What happened exactly? Did he get complacent, lazy, or arrogant? Did he just peak at a younger age? Some questions for the voters on a strong 2-seed.

For his opponent, by many standards, Roenicke was successful in Milwaukee; however, did he cost the Brewers a trip to the World Series? Was his in-game strategy to blame for a poor start in 2012 (that led to trading away talent) and the collapse in 2014? It’s perhaps a view into how much fans put the blame at the feet of a manager.

Considering this is a 10 vs. 2 contest, it feels like a toss-up, with some of the “analysts” believing Roenicke has better odds at a victory and even a path to the Final Four.

Keep on voting and making sure your least liked Brewers stay alive in the brackets! You can also see the second round results happening in the Sheffield Region and the Gagne Region.