Round 2, Region 4: Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade

The first round in the Jeff Suppan Region gave us a mix of easy wins, close finishes, and a couple of upsets in the “Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade” bracket. For most, it still seems like top-seeded Matt Garza is a heavy favorite to make it out of the region, but there may be a surprise or two yet.

Garza’s 97% share of the votes didn’t shock anyone, but three other Milwaukee Brewers earned at least 85% in their victories as well. Meanwhile, Travis Shaw was the lowest-seeded competitor to advance to round 2 as the 11-seed knocked off 6-seeded Hernan Perez by 14%. He is one to watch as a loud portion of the fan base looked favorably on his 2 positive years, but many were equally upset about his last season.

Now it’s up to you to ensure your least favorite Brewers in the Suppan Region stay alive in the quest for a Sweet 16 game and beyond. You can also track the happenings in the Sheffield Region, Gagne Region, and Hammonds Region as the tournament rolls on.

#1 Matt Garza vs. #9 Junior Guerra

Not much else to say about Garza’s opening win, outscoring Yovani Gallardo 1,210 votes to just 34. Garza may be lucky to have 34 people call themselves fans of his in his time as a Brewer. His next matchup features an opponent whose number one fan in the world may have contributed to fans’ distaste a bit.

Guerra’s up-and-down time with Milwaukee saw contribute plenty to winning teams, while also playing a role in some struggles. While he was able to destroy Zach Davies in a minor 8 vs. 9 upset, it’s tough to see a path to victory in this one.

#4 Jonathan Schoop vs. #5 Mat Gamel

Schoop also ran roughshod over his first round opponent, so the surprise of few. He has people on both sides of the aisle, however, with some thinking his awful time in Milwaukee deserved a higher seeding, while others thought “eh,” he stunk, but what was the impact, really. The 93% vote may speak to a larger group of haters.

Gamel’s margin of victory was tighter (54%-46%) as he trailed briefly in the 12-5 matchup. Failed expectations and ultimate little production at a time the Brewers desperately needed it seems to have stuck with plenty of fans. One could argue his brother, Ben, has already done more to help the Crew. No reason to think Schoop won’t advance, setting up a possible donnybrook with Garza in the Sweet 16.

#3 Logan Schafer vs. #11 Travis Shaw

There was some thought not enough people would even remember Schafer, but 85% of the people liked him less than Domingo Santana at least. This may have been the biggest accomplishment for the former Brewers Minor League Player of the Year. Early betting in his round 2 contest, however, shows that fans may not be long for him in this tournament.

That’s because of Shaw’s 57%-43% win over Hernan Perez. Some may have underestimated Shaw’s strength of severely irritating the fan base with his fall off the cliff in 2019 and cryptic comments on his way out. There are plenty who still appreciate what Shaw did for the Brewers, but will his detractors outweigh the people who have any feeling toward Schafer? It’s an intriguing matchup.

#2 Manny Parra vs. #7 Khris Davis

This time it was Parra putting the beat down on Prince Fielder – of course, it’s technically not a good thing. Parra was given strong consideration for a 1-seed initially and the votes (95%) prove that discussion was worthy. It likely didn’t matter who his second round opponent was going to be, Parra was going to be a big favorite to advance again.

It ended up being Davis by a sizable margin over Ryan Braun. Though many were happy to see Braun in the tournament (for obvious reasons of dislike – at least one big reason), three-quarters of the votes still went Davis’ way in the opener. Could Davis’ defense and subsequent “Ruthian” homers in Oakland be enough to rile up votes for an upset? I don’t see it, but I don’t make the call – you do!

This gets us through all four regions’ second round contests. The future holds many fascinating battles in the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four before we ultimately crown a “champion” of sorts.

Keep voting and keep sharing. You can see the full bracket - how it looked before voting started in the round 2 games. Any predictions on who will all reach the Final Four?