Sweet 16, Region 3: Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade Bracket

As we hit the Sweet 16 in the Jeffrey Hammonds Region, some surprises have emerged in the “Least Liked Brewers of the Last Decade” bracket. Where many expected a big upset, it didn’t happen – and instead – it was another top seed falling.

Number 1 seed Jonathan Villar fell to 9^th-seeded Juan Francisco 51%-49%, ending up 16 votes shy of victory. It felt like most fans were all over Villar during his time in Milwaukee, but perhaps, that was overstated. Francisco apparently made a more lasting negative impact.

Meanwhile, some saw 10^th-seed Ron Roenicke as a sneaky favorite coming out of this region, but he couldn’t get past 2^nd-seeded Wily Peralta. Peralta won by the slimmest of margins (11 votes) to knock off the man that may have kept the Brewers out of the 2011 World Series. I guess fans still blame players more than managers?

In the 4-5 matchups, Randy Wolf blew out favorite Orlando Arcia by a 68%-32% final. Arcia still has the love of plenty of fans – or Wolf was despised that much more in the end. And finally, 3-seed Alex Gonzalez cruised to victory over 6^th-seeded Jett Bandy (61%-39%). Can Gonzalez sneak his way through?

The rest is up to you as far as who advances to the Elite 8 in the Hammons Region.

#5 Randy Wolf vs. #9 Juan Francisco

Who would have thought Wolf would be the favorite in the Sweet 16 – if you even thought he’d make it this far. While his sizable win over Arcia was impressive, it was Francisco’s shocking upset of 1-seed Jonathan Villar that creates an unexpected battle for an Elite 8 berth.

Wolf had more contributions to the franchise, while Francisco might represent the overall struggle the Brewers had at first base for some time. I’m not sure, really at all, where the voting will fall in this one, so maybe the analysts can help you figure out the odds. Here’s something number-wise: Francisco was a -0.7 bWAR his only season in Milwaukee; Wolf was 1.5 bWAR and 2.5 bWAR his first 2 seasons, then a -1.2 bWAR in his 3rd year.

#2 Wily Peralta vs. #3 Alex Gonzalez

A surprise of a different kind as the scuttlebutt leading up to the 2^nd-round battle between Peralta (#2) and Roenicke (#10) was that the underdog would have what it takes to claim victory. Instead, people chose to look more fondly at Roenicke’s time as manager and express their disdain for Peralta.

It feels as though Peralta should coast into the second weekend of tournament play, but that is often when an opponent like Gonzalez sneaks past the favorite and proves his worth (or lack of worth?). Who truly deserves to be one step away from a Final Four?

The bracket keeps humming along as we keep dwindling down the least liked of the group. Vote now in the Hammonds Region and be on the lookout for the final region opening up the vote soon.