The Milwaukee Brewers’ 2025 season ended in ignominious fashion on Friday night. It was a disappointing way to end the year and expose some of the lingering questions about this iteration of the Brewers going forward, but this was also an excellent season for a team with a lot to feel good about. Even this postseason run, which exposed some serious flaws, gave us reasons for optimism.
In the spirit of the mixed feelings of the past few days, and with inspiration from my friend Vince (who does this after every Brewer season), I’ve put together a list of the pros and cons of fast hitters that I can take away from the season as a Brewers fan.
Pro: It was the best regular season in Brewer history. Team record of 97 wins, two winning streaks of more than 11 games, the best record in the league.
Pro: The Brewers won a postseason series. Finally. And it was against the Cubs!
downside: The Brewers were embarrassed by the Dodgers in the NLCS. I think this is more about the Dodgers than the Brewers, but it’s not a good feeling.
Pro: Even a hobbled Jackson Chourio looked like the best brewer on the field in the Championship Series. He won’t turn 22 until spring training. He has things to work on, but the potential is off the charts.
downside: The “Brewer offense” of speed and contact worked for two postseason games and not for the next seven. Long-standing questions remain about this team’s power source, and there is no clear route to improvement. There was a certain irony in the fact that rumored trade target Eugenio Suárez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, for the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS on the same day the Brewers were swept in a series in which they hit one home run.
Pro: Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick really showed in the postseason. Miz had his ups and downs this season, but he also made it clear that if he can keep his skills in check, he has the ability to be a top performer. Patrick not only showed early in the season that he is already a mid-rotation caliber starting pitcher, but he also looked like someone who still has a lot of room to grow.
downside: How much more can Christian Yelich offer? Yelich had a good season, but he turns 34 in December and the wall he hit toward the end of the season coincided with a flare-up of his long-standing bugaboo, his back. He also can’t play on the field anymore, which limits the Brewers’ options (including a scenario where Jeferson Quero makes the team and William Contreras spends more time at DH). There are two years and approximately $46 million remaining on his contract.
Pro: Brice Turang’s August may have been a mirage (and he struggled in the playoffs), but if he really is a 120 OPS+ hitter and can get his defense back to 2024 levels, he would be an MVP candidate. I’m not kidding!
Pro: Caleb Durbin looks like a legitimate Major League player, which makes the trade for Devin Williams a big win.
downside: Not Joey Ortiz. Jesus Made doesn’t turn 19 until May. Cooper Pratt struggled offensively at Double-A. Neither are likely options next season. Milwaukee will have to decide if they’re comfortable hoping Ortiz’s bat bounces back closer to 2024 levels or if they’re going to find someone to act as a bridge.
Pro: The farm is in excellent condition. I mentioned Madé and Pratt, but there were positives all around the system, and Milwaukee continues to rise in the team rankings (they were in the top five of most major teams and number one in Baseball America’s midseason update).
Pro: Freddy Peralta probably had his best season overall. He either moves back to the top of the rotation as the younger guys get more comfortable with him, or he gets traded for what should be a good return.
downside: If Peralta is traded, the rotation will be severely lacking in experience, an issue that would likely only be addressed by low-level free agents (like Jose Quintana).
Pro: Andrew Vaughn cooled off after an impossibly hot start, but his emergence provides a likely answer to the Brewers’ first basic question, assuming the Brewers are willing to pay his arbitration fee (likely more than $7 million). Look for Jake Bauers, a Pat Murphy favorite, to return to push back the pack. The long-term future of first base in Milwaukee remains murky, but next season is probably OK.
downside: Milwaukee still won’t land free agents that make a big difference. Expect to be disappointed if you’re hoping for an aggressive move, even with Rhys Hoskins coming off the books (between his buyout and Vaughn’s arbitration case, the Brewers would have already paid about $12 million, compared to the $18 million mutual option for Hoskins).
Pro: The Brewers, on the other hand, have everything they need to make a seriously splashy trade, if that’s what they want. I’m talking about a superstar or someone who is on the verge of breaking out and has several years of control. Probably not, but it could be.
Pro: The bullpen was great in the postseason. Predicting relief pitching from year to year is folly, but Abner Uribe is the real deal, and the Brewers still have two years of team control on Trevor Megill. The back end of the bullpen, as it has been in Milwaukee for years, looks pretty good.
downside: Who is the third outfielder? Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio have two spots open. For a while, it looked like the Brewers had really found something in Isaac Collins, but he has looked completely lost over the past month and the postseason. Hopefully he finds his feet and answers this question. Obviously you can’t rely on Garrett Mitchell, although it is nice to have him there as a potential surprise. Blake Perkins is in the Ortiz camp: he’s a great guy to have on your team, but a bad guy to have in your lineup every day.
Pro: The rotation will have question marks, but there are plenty of options after Peralta (if he’s on the team), Misiorowski and Patrick. Aaron Ashby or DL Hall could put a spin on the relief effort. Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson have shown flashes. Tobias Myers could be an option. And we’ll see what happens with Brandon Woodruff, who may want to test free agency, but health questions could lead him back to Milwaukee.
There are certainly many more. Add to the comments if you like!
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