As highlighted earlier, after years of toiling in minor league obscurity 27-year old starting pitcher Joe Harmon is having his moment in the sun. Count us among those happy for the young man.
With Brewers starting center fielder Joe McPhillips having started the season on the IL, 4th outfielder Val Guzman was given the task of filling big shoes. While Guzman is not the fielder in the middle of the field that McPhillips is, he acquitted himself quite well both in the field and at the plate. In fact, the biggest surprise was the strong on-base skills he displayed, walking 10 times in 72 plate appearances with an OBP of .431. With McPhillips return Val won't be getting as many starts but he has certainly solidified his position as the 4th man in the outfield scheme and may have started to build a case for himself as the future left fielder to eventually replace the aging Andrew Kennedy. Val may not have one standout tool (though he is extremely fast) but his all-around game is strong and he is considered one of the best leaders and hardest workers on the club. The former 1st round pick has almost certainly earned himself the opportunity for a larger role going forward.