Willy Adames Named Brewers’ MVP By Milwaukee BBWAA Chapter

Shortstop Willy Adames was named the Milwaukee Brewers’ Most Valuable Player for a second straight season by the Milwaukee Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Adames led Milwaukee with 98 RBIs, 31 double, 258 total bases and 62 extra-base hits. His 31 homers were second only to first baseman Rowdy Tellez (35) but tied the Rangers’ Corey Seager for the most among big league shortstops and were the most by a shortstop in franchise history, surpassing Robin Yount’s 29 homers in 1982.

Defensively, Adames also ranked among the league leaders with nine defensive runs saved and 10 outs above average, according to metrics at FanGraphs.com.

“He’s been a rock for us, he really has,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Chapter members also voted on the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher, top newcomer, Unsung Hero and a Good Guy Award, which is presented to a player who has the most outgoing, friendly presence in the clubhouse and interacts well with the media on a daily basis in a friendly and cooperative manner.

Here are the winners of those awards for 2022:

Most Valuable Pitcher: Corbin Burnes

Like Adames, Burnes earned the honor for a second straight season after going 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 33 starts while leading the National League with 243 strikeouts. Burnes also ranked among the league leaders with 202 innings, 10.83 strikeouts/nine innings, opponents batting average (.197) and WHIP (0.97)

“I think we let him down in some outings but he’s an outstanding pitcher,” Tellez said. “He’s the ace of the staff. He rolled out every fifth day and we knew what we were getting.”

Top Newcomer: Hunter Renfroe

Acquired from Boston in the final moments before the lockout went to effect last December, Renfroe batted .255 with 29 home runs and 72 RBIs in 125 games while ranking fourth among all NL outfielders with 11 defensive assists.

“The biggest downfall was me getting hurt at the beginning of the year and missing a month,” Renfroe said. “I hate getting hurt, I hate going on the IL and watching the guys have to go out and compete without me. I want to stay healthy every year and play as many games as possible.”

Unsung Hero: Hoby Milner

The left-handed reliever appeared in a career-high 67 games this season — the second-most among Milwaukee relievers and eighth-most in the National League. He ranked fifth in all of baseball by stranding 32 of 37 inherited runners while going 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

“Hoby’s been a real unsung hero for this team,” Counsell said. “I think he took a big step forward this year and become real dependable and a guy that we can count on down there. He had a very nice season and I’m proud of him. He’s had to work hard to get to this point and it’s taken a while to get to this point. But he’s a major league reliever with a really good full season under his belt.”

Good Guy Award: Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff’s friendly personality never waved, regardless of his performance though he rarely had a bad day on the mound. In 27 starts, the right-handed starter went 13-4 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.