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Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Five Players to Watch in Weekend Series

By Dan Schmelzer

Mar 19, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) reacts after striking out against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) reacts after striking out against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jimmy Nelson
Sep 27, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson (52) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jimmy Nelson

The Brewers are not in a position to compete in the NL Central this season. The most important part of their season is finding players who can contribute to the team over the long haul. The Brewers are wisely giving many young players opportunities to prove themselves at the Major League level. Jimmy Nelson is one of the most interesting players.

Nelson is a 27-yea-old right-hander who has never had a ton of MLB success. He was always strong in the minors, but Nelson has yet to get it to translate to the big leagues. That being said, he did start seeing some success late last season and it has folks around Milwaukee excited about what he could bring to the table.

Nelson added a knuckle-curve to his repertoire last season and had some nice success with it late in the year. If he can learn to command his new pitch with consistency, Nelson may have a knockout pitch. His knuckle-curve has a tremendous natural 12-6 break.

With his new weapon, Nelson has a chance to break out with the Brewers in 2017. He faces a huge test on Friday, facing the Chicago Cubs for his first start of the season. If Nelson can impress against the powerful Cubs’ lineup, there will be plenty of reason to believe in his possible 2017 success.

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