4 Brewers Players You Would've Never Guessed Led the Team in WAR for a Full Season

The Milwaukee Brewers have had some truly remarkable players come through their doors over the last few decades, as names like Christian Yelich, Robin Yount, and Paul Molitor will live on in baseball history forever. Having said that, Brewers fans had to suffer through some lean years, as virtual unknowns were thrust into roles as stars and/or major contributors. These four Brewers had tremendous one-off seasons, but they failed to lead the team in WAR beyond their one solid season in Wisconsin.

4. Mike Caldwell (1978)

Caldwell has one amazing season with the Brewers in '78, and he won an astounding 22 games with a 2.36 ERA. He amassed 8.2 wins above replacement while totaling a remarkable 23 complete games. These weren't hollow numbers on a bad team, either, as Milwaukee won 93 games and narrowly missed out on an ALCS spot. Caldwell carved out a solid career in the pros, pitching for 14 years with the Brewers, Padres, and Giants, but he never came close to replicating the success from '78, as 3.29 was the next-best single-season ERA he posted.

3. Ben McDonald (1996)

The 1996 Brewers were about as average and forgettable an MLB team as possible, and McDonald, whom Milwaukee pilfered from the Baltimore Orioles, emerged as the de facto ace of this 80-82 team. McDonald's 5.4 WAR was enough to lead the team, as the right-hander went 12-10 with a 3.90 ERA. McDonald's Brewers career lasted just two seasons, unfortunately, as rotator cuff problems ended his career at age 31, just a year removed from his superb '96 campaign.

2. Bill Hall (2006)

In the weird doldrums of the post-Geoff Jenkins but pre-Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun era, it was Hall who did most of the heavy lifting for a 2006 Brewers team that could only muster 75 wins. Hall led the team with 5.8 WAR that year, all the while clubbing 35 home runs and driving in 85 runs. Hall amassed most of his 9.7 career WAR during that season, and he unfortunately never topped 18 home runs or 62 RBI again in the pros before leaving the game in 2012 at the age of 32.

1. Adam Lind (2015)

Admit it, you forgot Lind even played for the Brewers. 3.6 WAR was good enough for Lind, who had just left the Toronto Blue Jays after nine seasons north of the border, to pace the Brewers in WAR. Lind finished 2015 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI. Lind and Francisco Rodriguez were just about the only things worth paying attention to on this team, as they won just 68 games and finished in fourth place in the NL Central. Lind wouldn't stay in Milwaukee for long, as he was in Seattle for the 2016 season.