Going through struggles helped Broxton excel in Majors

ST. LOUIS — In terms of skills, one comp for Brewers rookie Keon Broxton is Mike Cameron, who came up as a lanky and fleet-footed Chicago White Sox outfielder before filling out over a fine career that included a stop in Milwaukee.

In terms of results, however, a better comp might be J.J. Hardy, the shortstop who appeared so overmatched while hitting .187 with a .560 OPS during the first half of his rookie season in 2005 that then-manager Ned Yost was pressured to make a change. Yost stuck with Hardy, who rewarded his manager by hitting .308 with an .865 OPS after the break, and was an All-Star two years later.

Has any Brewers rookie since Hardy produced a more dramatic in-season turnaround than Broxton?

“Really, it’s a great lesson to all of us,” Counsell said. “Players change.”

Broxton is making the most of his fourth stint with the Brewers this season. Including an 0-for-16, 11 strikeout April that prompted the first of his three demotions to the Minor Leagues, Broxton posted a .125/.253/.188 slash line in 75 plate appearances over 29 games through July 1.

It was after that date, at Triple-A Colorado Springs, that Broxton …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com